Children of the Moon
by Wintermoth
Summary: My name is Leah and I'm a shape-shifter. When I was 21, I thought all I wanted to do was go to college, get rid of my wolf, and move on with my life. But after a crazy night and a moment insanity, me and mine are the last hope of a dying race. - Revamped in June 2011. Post BD, cannon pairings. (warning: OLD story)
1. Discovery

**Quick note to those who read my other stories, this is in no way a sequel or prequel to _any _of my stories.**

**To everyone who has never read any of my stories before: Hi! I'm Wintermoth (but i go by Moon). I'm crazy, yes, but I love my work and I encourage you to read my other stories. **

**Now, quick explanation of the story and why I wrote it.**

**I think Stephenie Meyer was a little unfair to Leah. She got us feeling so many emotions towards her then didn't even give Leah an ending or a purpose, except to be an antagonist. Is that fair? I think not!**

**"I hate the Leah that most ff writers create, mean, vindictive. Leah in FanFic is now generally mockery a of the woman that Stephanie created. The original one - she had a reason to be difficult - she was dumped without warning... giving her a role, a female role, is a superb idea." That's what my wonderful beta, Clare, who has put up with me and my random updates and idiocy for a while now (thanks!) said after she got this chapter.**

**First off, thanks. :D **

**Second, that's _exactly_ why I'm writing this. I'm giving the same Leah that SM wrote a damn good chance to redeem herself, let go of her past, make a difference, and have a good future.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters in this story that are originaly from Twilight. Everyone in this story who is not directly mentioned in the Twilight saga is MINE. SO if you steal, I will kill you :) We clear? Good!  
**

**So sit back and enjoy!**

**(Note: This takes place after Breaking Dawn)**

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

'_And we continued into this small but perfect piece of our forever._

_The end.'_

Wait. _What?_ The end? Please! You call that the ending? That was just the beginning. But, I guess, Bella didn't have the right to tell anything beyond that. She's just another vampire—well…as long as you don't count the kid and the ability to ignorantly break hearts. You know what? I'm not even going to go there.

Anyway. It's not over. It's only just begun.

**Seth**

Ah, jeez. Where to start? I guess this deserves some explanation.

Sometimes I really felt bad for Leah. I'm not saying she didn't deserve to get the cold shoulder. After all, she _had _been very mean to the pack while we still were loyal to Sam. But even after Leah became more bearable in Jacob's pack, _some _people (I'm not pointing fingers) couldn't forget how bitter she was and can still be.

Maybe if they'd shared her thoughts (and her household) then they'd get a better idea of why she was the way she was.

She just wanted a real _purpose_. She wanted a reason to live other than existing. And (but this is our little secret) she wanted to be loved.

And me? I wanted to grow up. Get older, I mean. I wanted to look twenty-one like Jacob so everyone wouldn't keep treating me like a kid. I was seventeen, for God's sake! And, I guess, I wanted a purpose, too. Something beyond running border patrol and high school. I didn't want to give up being a shape-shifter, but I knew if I stayed one, I would never be anything but a fifteen-year-old boy.

Anyway, I think the best place to start is the night when it all began. It had been just over a year since the Volturi had run with their tails between their legs. The Cullens still lived in Forks but were planning to move later in the year.

Jacob, Quil, Embry and I were running the La Push border for Sam that night. Leah had stayed _by herself _with the vamps (kudos, sis.) She didn't seem to mind. They're really not that bad when you get used to them. It only took her…seventeen months.

Jacob was anxious to get back to Nessie and he was wishing we could hurry up and get the damn patrol over with. We'd even split up to cover more ground. I didn't understand how he _always _needed to be near that kid, even if she was irresistibly cute.

_You would if you had an imprint. _Quil pointed out then heaved a sigh. _I miss Claire like crazy._

_She's only been gone three days. _I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

_Really? It feels like it's been three years._

_Great._ This time I really do roll my eyes.

_Can it, Seth. You don't know what it's like! _Embry argued and I rolled my eyes again.

Up until last October he'd been a "lone wolf" like me, until he'd gone with Quil to take Claire trick-or-treating. While he was out he'd literally bumped into a girl (who just so happened to be dressed as a Dracula) and when he helped her up he'd seen her face…. So Embry had his Kayla, Jacob had his Nessie, Quil had his Claire and I had…my sister.

_I don't want to, thank you very much._ I retorted._ I get more than enough female troubles with Leah around._

_I'm _so _telling her you said that. _

_Chill, guys. _Jacob ordered. _Seth might never imprin__t. Don't bug him about it._

_Thanks._

_Yep._

It was quiet for a while after that, nothing but the sounds of our pawsteps, subconscious thoughts about our surroundings, and breathing to distract us from our patrol. Until a scent hit my nose, that is. I skidded to a halt and sniffed again.

_What is it? _Embry asked.

I kept sniffing. _Wolves, I think. Maybe common ones…but there's something…off about the scent. Plus fear…blood…and…I'm not sure what that last thing is. I'm going to go check it out._

_Should we go to him? _Embry had slowed, ready to change course.

_Nah. _Jake said. _Go ahead, Seth. The rest of you, keep running._

_As you wish, oh mighty alpha._

Jacob grumbled. _I hate it when they do that. _He thought to himself.

_We know._

I sighed and followed my nose towards the source, keeping as low to the ground as possible. I kept my weight evenly distributed and avoided as much of the debris as I could. If there was something dangerous up ahead I needed surprise on my side. _Almost there…_

I raised my head enough to peer over a bush and what I saw was heart breaking. There was a large brown she-wolf, around my size, on the ground. Her flanks heaved with effort as she fought for breath. By her side lay six small bundles of…fur. I stepped into the clearing and the she-wolf raised her head to meet my eyes.

_Holy shit! _Jacob was running towards me at the speed of light. The others were coming too, thinking things at me, but, for once, they made no sense. The she-wolf's eyes searched my face intently and something akin to joy sparked in her eyes.

Her voice was soft in my head, rich and warm like my mother's, but strained with effort.

_Brother…help…they…need…to…live…_Her voice trailed off into a sigh as the she-wolf's head lowered onto the ground and, after a moment, she grew still

I didn't know this creature, but I couldn't fight the wolf-instincts in me and I threw my head back, letting out a long howl. It echoed through the trees, silencing everything except my approaching friends, until Jacob's nose touched my shoulder. _Enough, Seth. _He thought.

_D-did you hear her? _I thought.

_What?_

_She spoke to me… _I whispered. _She said 'brother help they need to live' then she died…_

_Seth…we didn't hear anything. _Quil said softly.

A quiet whimper made our heads turn towards the six furry lumps beside the dead wolf.

_Holy shit, please tell me those aren't what I think they are._ Embry said.

_They're puppies. _I said in wonder, staring at the tiny newborn wolves.

Jacob padded over to sniff them. Quil's mouth fell open in surprise when Jacob licked a muddy brown pup fiercely for a second then his earas dropped.

_This one didn't make it. _He nudged the pup closer to his mother's body and then gently pulled the other five away with his huge paw. _But these five are alive._

_They won't be for long. _Quil warned.

_Why don't we take them to a zoo?_

I growled at Embry. _No. The mother _spoke to me in her mind. _She was…she had to be a shape-shifter…or something. They're like us! We need to protect them! We can't just abandon them. No, no, we've got to help them._

_And how do you suggest we do _that_? _Embry snapped. _Do I look like a friggin' nanny to you?_

I thought about that for a minute, then the answer appeared in my head.

_Oh you have to be kidding me. _Quil thought.

_Nope, I'm not._

_Leah won't go for it. _Embry warned.

_Do you have any other ides? _I bared my teeth. _We have no choice! We can't just let them die!_

_Yes we can. They're not our problem._

Jacob growled. _Hey. I'm the Alpha here, and I say we are taking the live ones back and we'll ask Leah to help. If not we'll ask the vamps. Bella, Alice, Esme, and Rosalie will pounce on any chance to act maternal, you know that. For now, Seth, you keep the pups warm. Quil, Embry, help me bury these two. _If _Seth is right and this wolf did speak to him, somehow, then she was no common wolf and deserves a proper burial. Who knows, perhaps she was one of our kind._

_Like I said._ I muttered.

I walked forward and crouched beside the whimpering pups and trapped them between my tail and side, watching as Jacob, Embry, and Seth buried the mother and her still-born son. I could've sworn, though, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the outline of a wolf with a cub by her side, which vanished when I turned to look properly. But again, no one else saw it.

The live puppies whimpered and squirmed, pressing their little noses against my flank. _Cut it out. I can't feed you_. But, of course, they didn't respond. Even if they had a mindlink thing going on, they were probably too young to think. There were five left, each distinctly unique. One was snowy white, another silvery-gray, darker sandy, deep russet, and the last was solid black.

Jacob trotted back over and ducked his head to pick up a small silver pup who wailed when he lifted her away from her siblings. _Calm down, _he thought.

Embry picked up a deep russet pup that only whimpered a little and Quil got the white one that wriggled about before finally giving up. That just left the black pup and the dark sandy pup. I knew couldn't carry both…

_Put one on my back between my shoulders. _Jacob ordered. _I'm big enough, it should fit nicely._

I gently picked up the black pup and placed him gently in the groove between Jake's shoulders then picked up the final she-wolf who let out a small cry.

Slowly so as not to hurt them, we headed for the house.

Did I know what I was carrying at the time? No, of course not. How could I? If I'd known what it would mean for us…

I still would've done it.

**Leah**

Edward, Bella, and I were in the living room with Nessie, watching a movie. Bella and Edward seemed to enjoy watching Renesmee watch _101 Dalmatians_. I didn't blame them. Nessie was cute… for spawn, anyway.

Edward's head suddenly snapped around towards the window. "What in the name of… You've…oh for the love of all that's holy… Carlisle!"

Everyone of the vamps were in the room two seconds later. My eyes flicked towards the window.

"What's going on?" It was strange to hear the psychic ask that…unless it was about us shape-shifters. I paled.

"Seth was running alone and—"

"Seth! What happened?" I screeched, jumping up. "Is he alright?"

"Yes, he's fine, calm down, Leah!" Edward held his hands up and I felt calm rush over me, probably thanks to Jasper.

"He found something…and they have brought the survivors back."

"Survivors?" This peaked Dr. Fang's interest.

Edward's eyes widened suddenly and his voice was blurred with the speed of his speech. I only caught one thing and it was my name repeated several times. Why did that make me nervous?

Then the vamps were in action, all moving to do whatever they'd been told to do. I smelt the scent of milk wafting from the kitchen and I heard furniture being moved very quickly in a room upstairs. What in God's name…?

"Leah, come on!" Nessie tugged on my hand. "Jacob has a job for you and you _have _to do it!"

"What kind of job?" I narrowed my eyes, but allowed her to pull me upstairs.

Nessie grinned but said nothing.

She led me to a room that I'd never been into before. Emmett was carrying three couch cushions into the room and he put them in a pile in the corner with other blankets and pillows. In the other corner was the futon I slept on when I had to sleep here. Alice was assembling an air filter at a speed that was hard to keep up with.

"Leah, can you phase now?" Edward asked as he brought a large fluffy blanket into the room and put it on the pile of cushions, pillows, and such.

I scowled. _Why?_

"Just trust me, Leah." Edward sighed.

_Why should I?_

"OK, then, trust Seth."

I sighed, "Fine."

I phased without bothering to remove the clothes I was wearing. I landed as a wolf and waited for someone else to give me orders that made no sense whatsoever. Then I noticed how quiet it was in my head. Where were the boys?

"They're coming." Edward said.

I strained my ears forward, listening. Sure enough, I heard the guys walking towards the house on two legs. I sat down and waited impatiently for someone to explain. Esme brought up the bottles that Nessie had used as a baby, but they were filled with warm milk instead of blood.

Oh. Hell. No.

The door opened and I heard Bella go "aww!" then she was running towards us with Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper. My pack followed more slowly, carefully almost, and I pawed at the ground until the four of them came into view. They each were holding a bundle of…fur in a cradle-like position. I sniffed and my jaw fell open. Wolf pups!

Milk, air filter, pillows…me in my wolf form… Oh. Hell. No. _You gotta be freaking kidding me.  
_

"No, Leah." Edward said. "They're serious."

_They want me to be a mom? To _wolf _pups._

"Yes."

I glared daggers at the boys and bared my teeth. _Oh, I swear, whichever one of you came up with this crazy idea is so, _so _dead._

"I told you she wouldn't like it, Seth." Embry muttered and I snared angrily at Seth.

Seth sighed and walked forward. He put his bundle at my paws and flicked my nose. I growled softly.

"C'mon, Leah, look at her. Do you want her to die?"

I looked down at the wolf pup. Her fur was just a bit darker than Seth's, like the sky just after sunrise. She whimpered and used her practically lame legs to push herself towards me. She pressed her nose onto my paw and let out a wail. I ducked my head to sniff her and her nose bumped mine. She whimpered again. I felt a strange, almost aching pity for the creature and I sighed and gently picked her up by the scruff. I carried her over to the pillow mountain and pushed some pillows around set her down gently in the small dip, then sat down beside her. I looked at the boys expectantly and they all got shit-eating grins on their faces. They each put the pup, pups in Jacob's case, that they carried beside their sister and the tiny things milled about.

I turned to look at Esme and cocked my head._ I'm gonna need those. I don't exactly have the…stuff they need. And these guys are hungry._

"She says they're hungry." Edward reported.

The next afternoon when I woke up, I was kind of scared that I wouldn't see the five pups beside me, but there they were, sleeping soundly together in a patch of sunlight that came through the window. They were safe. I felt a strange relief. So this was what maternal instincts were. Huh. Me. Maternal. Who would've thunk it?

I examined the, er, _my _pups closer than I had last night. There were two males and three females. There had been another male, according to Seth, but he hadn't made it. The largest was a midnight black wolf…like Sam. I sighed. The other male was a darker russet than Jacob with a tuft of white fur on the tip of his tail. The smallest female was light silver with darker flecks, the one in the middle was the dark-sand one, and the largest was snow white.

I'd have to pick out names for them…it was in the motherhood job description. But, first things first, my breakfast.

_Oh Mr. Cullen, _I called. _Will you please tell my little brother that his job as food delivery boy begins now? I'd like some of mom's pancakes._

A minute later, Seth's voice was in my head. _You aren't going to abuse this…right?_

_Not a chance. _I said sweetly.

_Oh boy._

* * *

**Alright, I know the story seems kind of wtf and slow right now, but just stick with it and I promise you won't be dissapointed :) **

**Review!**_  
_


	2. Name Game

***Disclaimer - I don't own Twilight or any characters from Twilight. All the characters and places that are not from Twilight or the real world ARE mine.**

*******June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

"So have they got names yet?" Renesmee asked for the third time that day.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. _Give me time, dammit. _Most mothers have, you know, nine months to think of names. I've had about nine hours.

"Can I name one?"

I shrugged. There was no harm in seeing what she could come up with. And it might shut her up. I lifted my paw and gestured at the silver pup. Nessie gently stroked the pup's fur and frowned. "Moon." She finally said. I bit back a laugh and pointed to the one that resembled Sam. "Shadow." I blinked then pointed to the darker version of Jacob. "Copper." Then the white one got "Snow" and the sandy one got "Dawn."

I sighed. _Hello, mind-reader? Edward! Care to lend a hand?_

Edward was in the room a few seconds later and he arched one eyebrow.

_Did you hear the names she came up with?_

He nodded.

_Can you tell her those names suck?_

"Nessie, Leah says those won't work." He told her gently.

Nessie looked hurt. "Why?"

_They sound like pet names. _Ok, I get that they're animals, but I'll be damned if I'm naming one of them Copper. That's almost as bad as Fluffy.

"Because Leah thinks that they sound like pet names."

Nessie looked really hurt and her lip jutted out in a pout. Oh no…not the tears.

_Uh…alright, tell you what, kid. I'll think about it a bit and see if I can find good names close to those. Sound good?_

"Leah says she'll try to think of names close to those." Edward said.

"OK," Nessie didn't look so wounded anymore. Good. Jacob would've hamstringed me.

"Probably." Edward agreed.

I sighed. _Thank you for your services, mind reader. Could you tell Esme or whoever is on duty that we're gonna need another meal for them soon. They'll be waking up any time now. And can I get some hot dogs?_

Edward nodded and headed down to the kitchen.

I looked at my pups again. The names _did _fit…except for Shadow. Somehow…it just didn't seem right for such a dark pup. He looked like he could blend perfectly into darkness. As for the others…I could easily see the small silver she-wolf being called Moon and the white one being called Snow...but the names just seemed a little…demeaning.

_Why don't you translate those words, then?_

My tail fluffed up and then I relaxed when I recognized the mind linked with mine.

_Embry! When did you phase?_

_While you were ordering lunch. Listen, if you think the names fit, try translating them into another language. Didn't you take a Latin class last summer?_

_Italian, _I corrected. I thought that my rudimentary Spanish would've given me a leg up, but I sucked at Italian and the most I managed to take out of the class was a few words, a couple sentences, and that was it.

_Well there's a place to start. Good luck._

_Where are you headed?_

_Kayla's. _

_Ah. Well please don't phase later. I don't need to see any instant replays._

_Shut up Leah. You've got no room to talk._

_Touché. _I thought. _So are you going to tell her what you are yet?_

_I don't know. Just because Mom understood when she saw me phase doesn't mean Kayla will_. _She doesn't _have _to love me like Mom does…and I can't lose her…_

_Well, you can't keep it a secret forever. Alright, Embry, listen closely, because I'm going to give you some advice. Being a girl myself, I know what girls like. When you decide to reveal what you are, you should buy her flowers or something special and remind her of the legends, then tell her how much you love her. Then, phase. After that, if she hasn't run off to find any silver bullets or start a mob, explain more about the legends and imprinting._

_You think it'll work?_

_It might._

_Well then…thank you, Leah. Wow. Never thought I'd say _that_._ He thought to himself. _…I'll do it today. I will! If I don't, you come kick my ass._

_With pleasure,_ I thought.

_OK…here goes nothing. _Embry gulped then I felt his mind fade away as he phased and I was left alone in silence.

I looked back down at my pups. Italian names for them…it could work. Luna meant moon in Italian. _Luna…_I tilted my head and stared at the silver pup. Moon. Luna. It was elegant, simple, and beautiful.

My tail wagged automatically.

I had no problem translating the other names, then I came to my unnamed black pup. I could do black, which translated into Nero, but Nero had been a sadistic and brutal Roman Emperor (I still remembered ninth grade History class) and I really didn't want him having _that _name.

I snorted and Nessie looked up. I pointed to the black pup.

"Shadow." She said and shook my head.

Nessie put her pale hand on his fur then and stroked it. "Hmm. Alright… how about…Dark?"

_Dark…crap. Oh come on, Leah, you know that word. _I thought angrily. _Skyro? No… Scoro? Nope. Ah, shit shit, shit, what is it? Scuro_...? _Yes, that's it. Scuro. _

It wasn't bad. Uncommon, definitely, but special.

_Scuro, Luna, Neve, Rame, and Alba, _I thought, looking down at my five pups. _That'll do.  
_

* * *

**Jacob**

Last March, Sam suggested that he and I run patrol together sometimes. So now every full moon we run the border together and just exchange news, including any new additions to the pack. I wasn't sure how I was going to tell Sam about Leah's new…charges.

_Sam? You there yet?_

_Hey, Jacob, _Sam greeted me.

_Where are we meeting? _

_On the northeast side of the highway by the warning sign six miles from the town._

_Alright, _I angled my paws so I was heading towards him.

_So what's been happening? _Sam asked casually.

Thank God he could only hear what I wanted him to. _Oh…you know: same old, same old._

_How's Embry handling his imprinting?_

_Good. He was going to show her what he was today but he chickened out. Maybe tomorrow… Leah's helping him._

_Leah, huh? Well, hopefully Kayla will accept him._

_I know. Hey, Sam. _I could see him up ahead now and he stood up. _Did you grow again?_

_Shockingly yes. _He said and we took off._ Poor Rea can't stand being next to me anymore. _

Rea was one of the few additions to Sam's pack last year that kept her wolf. Most of the others gave it up and went on with their lives. She was only fourteen.

_Then it's probably best she hasn't seen me in a while._

Sam chuckled.

It was quiet for a few minutes and we just ran.

_How's everyone else doing in your pack? _Sam asked.

_Well, Quil's counting down the days until Claire comes home. _I tried to keep my voice light and casual. _And__ Leah has a few new mouths to feed._

Sam ran into a tree.

I sighed and circled back around. Sam's head poked out from under the fallen spruce, his eyes wide, and his mouth handing open in shock._ What?_

I sighed. _Yeah. Leah's all maternal now too. It's kinda weird coming from her. She nearly killed me for _almost _stepping on one of them. _

Sam about had a stroke._ Why didn't you tell me? Why did no one else tell me? _He jumped up and bared his teeth.

_Because she just got them. _I shrugged.

_You've had _nine months_ to tell me! Does Sue know? Does Charlie?_

_Uh, Sam—_

_Who did this? Why didn't Leah say anything? I swear to God I'm gonna kill the son of a bitch—_

I barked sharply, cutting Sam off. _Hold up, Sam. You're way, _way_ off._

_Then would you care to enlighten me? _He growled.

I sighed. _When the guys and I were out patrolling for you the other night, Seth found a wolf that had just had pups. She died just after he got there and, according to him, she told him to basically take care of the pups. He said she talked to him in the mindlink…so we figured they must be like us somehow. We buried the mother and the one pup that didn't make it and we took the others back to Leah. The vamps put together a room for them and everything. Leah agreed to be mom for them and Nessie simply adores them. She helped Leah name them yesterday._

Sam sighed in relief. _So Leah didn't get…I mean…no one…so she's alright? _

_Yeah, Sam, she's fine and surprisingly happy. _

We started walking again and I could feel the relief radiating off him. I could only imagine what he was thinking to himself.

_How many are there? _He asked a few minutes later.

_Five. _

Five_? Leah's gonna have her hands full. What are their names?_

_Scuro, Luna, Neve, Rame, and Alba._

…_Uh…those are nice, I guess._

I laughed. _They're Italian, Sam. She did it mostly for Nessie's sake, apparently. _

_Explain, please._

_Well, Nessie gave each pup a name in English, but they were like Snow and Copper and stuff. Leah thought they were stupid and Embry suggested she translate them into a different language. Remember when she took that Italian class last summer?_

_The one she failed miserably? Yes. _

_She didn't fail miserably. _

_Anyway…_

_Luna is a small and silver and her name means moon, Neve is snow white and her name means snow, Rame is a darker version of me and his name means copper, and Alba is a darker Seth and her name means dawn, and Scuro looks a lot like you and his name means dark._

_One of them looks like me?_ Was that amusement in his thoughts?

_Yeah. She kinda doesn't like that._

_I don't blame her._

_We try to give her as much privacy as possible, though. The pups haven't seen her human side yet so she hasn't phased since she got them. She's a wolf right now, but she's asleep—I can sense her dreams at the back of my mind. _

_I would like to see them…_

_Her dreams?_

_No, the pups._

_Oh. __Well, I'll ask Leah and the vamps if you can bring the pack by to meet them. Oh, Sue and Charlie too. Seth says Sue is dying to see them. Emily can too, if she wants too, that is._

Sam nodded his big head. _Okay, then._

_I'll have Seth tell Sue the answer when he heads to La Push to get some of his mom's pancakes or something for Leah. Sue can spread word. _

_Sounds like a plan to me._

* * *

**There were some big changes in this chapter, but I have a soft spot for the line about Sam running into a tree. I just had to leave it XD**_  
_


	3. Things Change

**To help people, i'm going to tell you how to pronounce the names.**

**Scuro- Sc-ur-o**

**Neve- N-eh-v**

**Rame- Ray-m**

**Alba- All-buh  
**

**Noami- No-am-ee**

**Fango- Fang-o**

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

Their eyes opened after the first three days. I was no animal expert, I knew but that was a bit early. Alba was the first one to walk at two weeks old. The pups had learned after a few days that they couldn't get food from me, but from the bottles.

I was halfway asleep and Alba was hungry. I was jolted awake when I saw her stand up and stumble down to the bottles at the base of the pillows and nose a bottle with her muzzle. It toppled over and I'd watched in amazement as she crawled to the nozzle and started to gulp down the milk. Then she looked up at me with a snark look that said _Thanks for the help._

I was both mortified and horrified.

By the time they were three weeks old they were romping like they were several months old and they were too big to be as young as they were. Seth insisted over and over that it was because they were special wolves. Like us. I knew as I looked into the strangely intelligent eyes of my pups that there was something…different about them.

Every few days I would leave Seth, Esme, and Nessie on babysitting duty and go out for a run with Jacob. Jacob tried to persuade me to go to La Push and see everyone who was curious about my five, but I told him over and over they would all see me and the pups when they were old enough.

It was on the night they were exactly one month old I learned what the five young ones were. That was the beginning of the end.

I was in a strange forest I had never seen before. The moon was shining through the treetops making everything silvery, mist cloaked the land and everything smelled of pine. I looked at my gray body, turned silver in the moonlight, and whined softly. I was…bigger, stronger, and more wolfish, if that was possible.

Two sets of pawsteps behind me made me turn slowly. I didn't see anyone at first, but the pawsteps, one set lighter than the other, got closer and slowly I saw two shapes emerge from the mist. They were wolves, one fully grown the other was a young pup. They each had brown fur; at least I think it was brown. It _looked _brown, but at the same time it was the most stunning silver I had ever seen with a mystical…glow to it. They were easily the most beautiful creatures I had ever seen. They made Rosalie look plain. It didn't feel right looking at them so I looked down and flattened my ears.

_Hello, Leah. _

_How do you know my name? _I whispered.

_Look up, Leah. _I did so and found myself almost muzzle to muzzle with the chocolaty brown she-wolf. She had a rich, warm accented voice. _My name is Noami and this is Fango. We have been watching you and your pack since the moment you carried my children away from my grave._

_Oh…you're their real mother. _I dipped my head.

_Actually, I should be doing that. _The she-wolf said and then dipped her head so low her nose touched the ground, ducking her body into a low bow, then she straightened up._ You could have turned them away so easily. Thank you. _

_Well…Seth was right. I just couldn't let the poor little things die._

_Thank you, Leah. I'm glad they didn't die. I'm glad they lived. _The muddy brown pup was as large as the ones I now cared for…_oh_! My shock must've shown my face.

_That is right, Leah. This is my other son. _The she-wolf said.

_I'm sorry you didn't live. _I lowered my head so I was almost level with Fango._ But you look pretty strong now; a strong pup with a strong name._

_Yes. You could have done a bit differently with the names, but I think they are beautiful. They need good names and a good strong woman to care for them._

_Why? _I asked. _What are they? What are you two? Oh, yeah, and where the _hell_ am I?_

The she-wolf shook her head fondly. _Leah, you know what we are. You once thought yourself one of us._

I gasped and stumbled back a few steps. _Werewolves! You're _real _werewolves!_

Noami nodded. _Yes, we are Children of the Moon, werewolves, lycans, loup garou, whatever you want to call us. You are in the Forest of the Moon, the place where my kind go after death. You might have noticed the change in yourself, that is because to bring you here…I had to give you a werewolf body…oh but do not worry! _She added when she caught sight of my face. _It is only while you are here. When you wake up you will be completely normal. Now, I need you to listen because time is short and there is much you need to know._

_I'm all ears._ And when I wake up, I'm gettin' a CAT scan!

_My kind is on the brink of extinction and the world needs us. Those of the vampire race that hunt us don't realize what our extinction will mean. Especially the merciless Volturi guard who seem to enjoy killing, the young female especially. We call her the Fire Bringer because she makes you feel like you are on fire. I saw her do that to many wolves long ago…including pups._

_Jane. That bitch._

_I had the first known successfully born litter of pups in over three decades. Our females deliver pups and they're slaughtered before they can return to safety. My mate died to defend me before their birth and I escaped, but I so weak. I had just enough strength to deliver them and speak to your before I died. Leah, nestled against your fur right now in the physical world are one of the few the last hopes for their kind. The chances of more litters of pups being carried to term and surviving are very slim, as are the chances of Aldia's words being fulfilled._

_Aldia? …Nevermind. _I dug my claws into the ground. _Tell me what I have to do and I'll do it._

_Protect my littermates. _Fango said. _Keep them safe and protected. Trust no one you don't already trust with your life and your brother's life. The coven you stay with can be trusted and need to know the truth. Protect them!_

I nodded grimly. _Leave it to me. No one will harm them. _But I was worried. _…Um…wait. Aren't werewolves…dangerous?_

Noami thrust her muzzle into my face. I flattened my ears but I didn't shrink back. _There are two basic kinds of werewolves: the bitten and the born. Changelings can be volatile, rash, and hard to control unless you get to them early enough. My children are born werewolves will be as tame as you raise them to be, not the wild creatures the bitten ones can become. My young ones will be capable to create both kinds, bitten and born, when they're old enough. But they should not be able to produce venom until they are older and much more mature. Remember this because it could save your life, theirs, and everyone who stands to protect them._

_I understand, Noami. Will they be able to become humans like I can?_

_Yes, once they get old enough to learn, but never on the full moon. They will always become wolves on the full moon—they cannot control it…. No matter how hard it may seem, remember this is your destiny. _

_My destiny? What do you mean?_

_You are one of the first to raise werewolves and have no connection to our world. …I…I think…it is not likely…but…maybe…you might be a part of the—_

Behind Noami and Fango a lone wolf howled.

_Papa! _Fango whirled and seemed to fly as he ran. Maybe he was.

Naomi dipped her head to me._ That was my mate warning me you have been here too long. Until we meet again, Leah Clearwater…be safe. _Then she turned and padded into the mist.

_No! Wait! _I bounded after her. _Don't go! I have more questions! _

I could see her ahead. She never moved faster but I couldn't seem to get closer to her. The mist stretched out forever, a never ending cloud that I was running through. But I could never reach Naomi! How far had I run? I turned around and gasped. I could see the clearing I'd spoken to them in not five hundred yards behind me. I looked at the ground and took a step forward. I'd moved…I took more steps and I was moving forward…then why couldn't I—_AH_!

I yelped when I saw Noami in front of me. She silently glared at me then I felt like I was falling. I let out a howl…

I woke up to find the five pups clustered around my head. Alba let out a whimper.

_I'm alright… _

"You could've fooled us."

I raised my head to see every single one of the vamps plus Jacob, Embry, and Quil staring at me from the wall. Then I was aware of hands in my fur and I was unsurprised to see Seth sitting by my shoulders looking quite relieved.

_What happened? _I asked.

"You were very cold and still," Edward replied grimly. "Esme came in to see why the pups were making a racket and she found you like this."

"I examined you and your vitals were very low." Carlisle knelt down beside me. "It was amazing you were even alive. You just didn't smell dead."

_That was why she couldn't talk to me for long. She would've _killed_ me…_

"Who?" Edward narrowed his eyes.

_The werewolf._

"What werewolf?" he asked sharply and all eyes turned to me.

_Noami._

"Who's Noami?"

I inclined my head to the pups. _Their mother._

* * *

**Review.**_  
_


	4. New Things

_******This chapter is dedicated to metacognitive whose review made my day. Thanks! And as to something i read on your profile...ya. Indiana is great...I would know! But you ain't seen nuthin till you seen the Children's museum! It's been expanded and is like o.o**_****

*******June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

Since my near deadly dream, Seth had refused to let me sleep alone, even though the pups were more than capable of getting attention. They probably thought my brother was their father. That could create future problems.

As they got older their personalities began to stand out and they seemed more human, though they still could not become humans yet. Watching Alba stare in wonder at a blue lava lamp, I wondered how any vampire could mistake these creatures for bloodthirsty monsters.

Scuro was the bold adventurer, Rame seemed to like throwing his weight around, and Luna seemed to have gotten the brains of the bunch. Neve was gentle and sweet while Alba seemed to be tough, taking a fall off the dresser without crying. I like to think she got that from me. Plus, they all simply loved the lava lamps Rosalie had put in for them. They would sit there for hours sometimes just watching the insides move about. Rame had learned not to touch the glass the hard way. God bless Dr. Fang (oh the irony!) and his medical skills, even though it turned out they had remarkable healing rates.

After I was sure the five of them were having their own private conversations, I'd asked Edward to tell me what they were thinking but he said they were almost as quiet as Bella was mentally. Sometimes I would talk to them in my mind and I swore they could hear me…they just never spoke to me.

The room we stayed in was the only place they'd ever seen by the time they were three months old. I was a bit…scared to let them go outside because their scent could be blown for miles and someone could track them or they could run off…. It was for that very reason that Nessie became the self-appointed AFPR (Advocate For Pup Rights as she called it) and she insisted they be allowed to run around outside. Then, of course, Jacob and Bella got it on it, which dragged Alice into it and well…you know Alice. In the course of two hours I had everyone demanding I let the pups get their first taste of fresh air.

Even the pups, who I'm pretty sure understood English, were pleading with in their own way. Whimpering, barking, whining, pawing at the window and Luna pointing to a picture of a wide, open field on the wall with her tail.

_Oh alright! You win! _I heaved myself to my paws and headed towards the door. Yipping like crazy, they raced around my paws until I tripped over one of them.

_Ugh! Rame! _I glared at the russet pup that shrank back and raised his paw.

I sighed and stood back up. I was careful to not let them see how I opened the door with my teeth then I pushed the door open and let them scamper past. Nessie was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for them.

"Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper made a fence for them." She announced proudly. "It was my idea."

I nodded. So they wouldn't be running off. One worry erased.

The five of them bounded out the front door and burst outside. I darted after them, ready to stop them, but I needn't have worried. Jacob, Seth, Quil, and Embry were waiting and they corralled the pups into a large enclosed area. I raised my chin and padded in as dignified as I could and sat down near the door.

"Hey, Leah, can I go call Sam?" Jacob asked and I shook my head. He sighed.

I lowered myself onto the ground and watched the pups romp around. Luna sniffed at a bush and whimpered. Seth, human formed, jumped out from behind "BOO!" and Luna ran towards me, yipping and whining. She wiggled half of her body into the small space between my leg and chest and cowered. I glared at Seth.

Neve walked from one side of the enclosure to the other, pausing to sniff at something every so often. Alba raced around with Nessie, barking like crazy. Rame and Scuro were tussling together—their playful growls and snarls eventually coaxed Luna out of hiding and she watched from under my muzzle. She stretched up and licked my nose. I gave her my best wolf-smile.

Scuro suddenly yelped and raced towards me. _Mama! Mama, he cut my ear! Mama, he hurt me!_ He flicked his ear in my face, trying to make me understand.

It took me a second to get over the shock of hearing him for the first time, then I ducked my head to sniff his ear. _It's just a little cut, I told him, but licked it anyway. It'll heal._

_Thanks…um…how should I let her know I'm saying thanks?_

_Try licking her nose. _Luna suggested from underneath my chin.

_Scuro?_ _Luna? _I whispered. They looked up at me. _Did you just say something?_

_Yes? _Scuro said tentatively.

_I can hear you. _I said.

_Finally! Hey, Rame, Alba, Neve! Mama can hear us!_

_Hi Mama! _Luna chirped and jumped out to face me. _It's me, Luna! This is what I sound like! Is my voice pretty? _

_Yes it is._

Neve abandoned her pacing and skipped over. _What about mine, Mama? Is mine pretty like Luna's?_

_Yes it is._

_I _know_ my voice is pretty._ Albo abandoned her game with Nessie and padded over to me.

_My voice is prettier than yours._ Rame boasted.

"Bella?" I heard Edward mutter from behind me. "Are you shielding Leah?"

_How can it be prettier than ours?_ Neve pounced on him. _You're a boy!_

"No." Bella replied. "Why?"

_So? My voice is still better!_

"I can't hear her anymore."

I looked down at Luna again and she smirked._ He can't hear us._

_My voice is the purdiest!_

_Alright enough of that!_ I ordered sharply and all five pups looked up at me. Oh shit. Um…how would my mom have handled this?

_It doesn't matter who has the prettiest voice. _I said, trying to make myself sound more confident than I felt._ All of you have lovely voices and I'm glad I can hear them._

_Thanks, Mama._ Scuro mumbled.

Mama…I would have to get used to that.

_Mama, when can we leave the yard?_ Alba asked a week later.

_Soon, I hope. But when you do, you'll have to stay by me and your uncles at all times and if we go into town you have to be on leashes like regular dogs._

_What?_

_Why?_

_That's not fair!_

_I'm not a _dog_!_

_Why, Mama, why?_

_I'm a _wolf_! _

_You're not getting me into one of those! _

_Oi! Enough. _I said. _We don't have to go into town. We can stay in the woods._

_Uncle Seth, Uncle Jacob, Uncle Quil, and Uncle Embry don't have to wear collars and leashes._ Scuro pointed out, glaring me mutinously.

_They are older and they can change into humans. You know that._

_But Mama…it's not fair_. Alba protested.

_What's not fair?_

_They can become humans, but we can't! You can't neither!_

_That's not true. I can become a human. I was born a human just like your uncles._

Their eyes grew round and their tails started to wag.

_You can?_ Neve asked in awe.

I nodded.

_Show us! _

_Please? _

_Please, Mama, please!_

_I want to see! _

_C'mon, Mama, please!_

_Oh…alright._ I said and they started barking and yipping excitedly.

Since I didn't have Edward to read my mind anymore, I had to get clothes for myself out of the closet and I set them carefully on the futon then ducked behind it. I changed back for the first time in ages then slipped my clothes on. I bent and flexed my fingers for a second, then straightened up and jumped over the futon.

Scuro, Rame, Luna, Neve, and Alba stared at me for a long minute, blinking rapidly. Then Scuro jumped down from the pillows and raced behind the futon. He jumped back over a second later and sniffed me and licked my elbow.

"Hey! Don't lick my elbow! It tickles!"

He barked excitedly and suddenly the rest of the pups were on top of me and pulled me to the ground. They sniffed me, poked me with gentle claws, and licked my face while I giggled. When Rame decided to see if my stomach was bouncy I decided to calm them down.

"Alright, let me up—ah! No! Cut it out, Alba! That tickles!"

Alba wagged her tail.

A chuckle in the doorway made me look up. Jake, Embry, Quil, and Seth were standing there with same the shit-eating grins from the first night on their faces.

"Playtime, Leah?" Quil asked.

"Oh shut up." I threw a pillow at him.

* * *

**Now, since Leah will never address this at any point in the story, allow me to explain.**

**Before pups are born, they develop a mental bond with their mother that lasts for a while after birth. It allows the mother to communicate with them, and vice verse. What happens is, the mother speaks in her mind with words which are translated in the pups brain to images, emotions and the like, things they can understand, until they're old enough to think with words more than images. Since Leah is not their mother, she was not a part of this link that they all shared. The link has been weakening for several days, allowing them to hear _her_ but not vice versa, and now that the pups are old enough to think with clear words, they're able to break out of that link and enter the main mindlink with their pack, aka, Jacob's pack and they can hear the kids.  
**

**Get it? :D**


	5. Thunder

**One of my favorite earlier chapters. I mean, what kid doesn't have these sort of moments?**

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

It rains in Forks every other day, but not every rainstorm becomes a thunderstorm. In the same way, not every thunderstorm becomes _big_. The first _big _thunderstorm during my pups lifetime happened just a few days after they saw me phase for the first time. And when I say big I mean B-I-G.

The thunder boomed constantly and it shook the house.

Just for safety reasons, Esme had insisted we go to the main level of the house. All she had to do was tell me it might be better if the pups were closer to the ground during the storm and I had them all downstairs in two minutes.

Bella was on the couch with Nessie on her lap. Jacob looked like he was itching to help Nessie, but even he accepted Nessie was better off with her mother. The poor kid was scared to death. I didn't blame her. This was one of the worst storms I'd seen in a while. Of course, Nessie had nothing on my five furballs.

Another crack of thunder shook the house and five shrill cries echoed through the room. I gently pulled them closer to my flank with my tail. They buried their faces in my fur and whimpered.

_It's OK, guys. Don't worry, that storm can't hurt you. You're safe here._ I soothed.

_But Mama, it's scary! _Alba whined.

_It's so loud! _Neve whispered. Another crash of thunder; that one sounded like a roar.

_It's a monster! _Scuro screamed and took off running…right into Emmett.

The big vampire shouted angrily when the impact caused the vampire to lose his grip on the controller and he lost the game he'd been playing. He rounded on him, teeth bared. "Who did that?" he snarled.

I leapt to my feet just as he spotted Scuro and I advanced on him, teeth bared and snarls ripping from my throat. Emmett raised his hands and scooted away from Scuro.

"Easy, Leah…" He cautioned.

Almost instantly, Rosalie and Alice were between me and Emmett. Rosalie's teeth were bared in a snarl and Alice's face was cautioning. I felt Seth's hand gripping my shoulder fur.

"Calm down, Leah." Alice said. "He wasn't gonna hurt him!"

I growled. _Didn't look like that to me._

"C'mon, sis," Seth gave me a tug. "You're scarin' the rest of them."

I looked around to see Rame, Luna, Neve, and Alba cowering under the couch, staring at me with wide eyes. Then I looked down at Scuro who was shivering on the floor between Alice and me. I sighed and ducked my head, picked Scuro up by the scruff and carried him back over to the couch and set him down.

_Come on out, guys. It's alright. _

_Mama…you were as loud as the thunder! _Neve whispered.

_It was scary…_Luna whispered.

Another crash of thunder and another bout of whimpers and yelps.

I sighed, then I had an idea. It was crazy, but…maybe it'd work on them. _You thought I was scary like the thunder?_

_Your were. You looked like you could've bit his head off! _Scuro said, a little awed.

_I wanted to. No one hurts you guys and gets away with it. _I reached forward and tickled his belly with the tips of my claws.

He barked and squealed. _That tickles! Stop it!_

I laughed and put my paw back down. _Well_,_ you know what, pups? I can be scarier than thunder._

_You can? _Neve crawled out of her hiding place. _How come we've never seen you like that?_

_I don't like to scare you. But, did you know, that once I helped fight a group of vicious newborn vampires that were going to hurt the Cullens and innocent humans, including Bella?_

_You did? _They were all listening now.

_Yes. Around this time two years ago, when Bella was still human, an evil vampire wanted Bella dead for revenge. So she s__tarted creating an army of new vampires. Newborn vampires are wild and dangerous; more than the Cullens can be because they're ruled by their instincts and are very strong. _I paused and looked down at the five pups who were intent on the story. _When they deci__ded to come, Alice saw it and your Uncle Jake offered the pack's services, back when he was second-in-command of our old pack. Sam, the Alpha, agreed to help because it was our duty to protect people and the army was a threat to people. The Cullens taught us how to fight newborns so when it was time, we were ready._

_Will you ever teach us to fight? _Rame asked eagerly.

_One day,_ I promised.

_So what happened? _Luna pressed.

_Well, Seth stayed with Edward to protect Bella while Sam, Embry, Jacob, Quil, Paul, Jared and I waited with the rest of the Cullens to fight!_

_What about Conner, Bradin, Lila, Ray, and David? _Neve asked.

I laughed. _It's Collin, Brady, Lily, Rea, and Daniel._

_Oh…_

_Well, Collin and Brady stayed to guard La Push and the others weren't…um…old enough to phase yet. So they didn't know. Anyway, we ambushed the newborns and destroyed them all! Seth helped Edward kill their evil leader, Victoria. I tried to fight a huge newborn alone and I am ashamed to admit that I would've died if Jacob hadn't saved my life._

_Thanks Uncle Jake! _The five pups barked at the same time.

Jacob looked at us, surprised. "What?"

_Edward, they're thanking Jake for saving me during the newborn battle. _I thought as hard as I could, willing Edward to hear.

"They're thanking you for saving Leah during the newborn fight." Edward said from near the piano. Cool, it worked.

"Oh." A smug grin appeared on Jake's face. "You're welcome. It was easy."

I frowned. _Cocky asshole._

_Mama, what's an asshole? _Rame asked.

_It's Uncle Jake's nickname. _Scuro said before I could answer.

_Oh…_He looked at Jacob. _Thanks again, asshole._

_Edward, can you hear this? _I asked, biting back laughter.

"Barely."

_Tell Jake, will ya?_

He did.

"He's so much like you, Leah." Jake said, smirking at Rame. "You should be so proud."

I growled. _Better they're like me than a jackass like you._

Rame was confused. _I thought he was an assh—_

_Alright! That's enough! _I reached forward and cuffed him sharply on the ear, cutting him off. _If I ever hear one of you say those words ever again…um…you don't want to know what I'll do._

Their ears flattened and they cowered under my gaze.

_Mama's in thunder-mode again. _Rame whispered.

As if the storm had heard him, another crack of thunder shook the house and lights flickered. They whimpered.

I sighed, wondering how I could help them. Obviously my story hadn't helped. My eyes wondered over to the TV. Jasper was watching sports…I grinned.

_You guys don't have to be scared. _I told them.

_But…it's just so loud! _Alba whispered.

I flicked my tail and headed for the front door. _Come on, pups. I want to show you something. Hey, Edward,_ I sent in his direction._ Tell Emmett to get a bat and a ball, will ya?_

"Are we playing ball?" Emmett had the stuff three seconds later.

I nodded.

Alice opened the door for us and I padded outside. Scuro, Rame, Neve, Luna, and Alba followed slowly, looking around at the wet world curiously.

_Everything smells different, Mama. _Luna reported.

_That's because the rain washed away the scents. _I said. _But they'll be back soon enough. Now, I want you to see why you shouldn't be afraid of thunder. Wait here._

I padded out to stand a couple hundred yards away from Emmett. "You ready?" He called.

I nodded and reared up into a begging position, waiting. Emmett tossed the ball in the air then swung the ball…

I wasn't sure if there was a CRACK or a BANG, maybe both, either way, it sounded like thunder and the ball sailed towards me at a dangerously fast speed. I sprang up and caught it right in my teeth. The force knocked me back a bit so I had to twist mid-air so I could land on my feet.

_Woah!_

_That was awesome!_

_Go Mama!_

I swung my head and tossed the ball back to Emmett. _Thanks. Go again, Em!_

Toss…swing…CRACK/BANG…. I had to run a ways to get this one. I thrust up and with a grunt; I grasped it in my teeth. _I got it! _I announced as I pranced back, tail high.

_Hey! When Emmett hits the ball, it sounds like thunder! _Alba realized after Emmett's next hit.

_Exactly! _I said, letting the ball sail away. _And is Emmett hitting a ball so scary?_

_No. _Scuro said.

_It's cool! _Rame added.

_So why is thunder so scary? _I sat down in front of them and cocked my head to one side.

_Um…thunder isn't Emmett. _Alba said.

_But maybe it's someone else playing baseball. Someone in the sky. Every time you hear a thunder crash, it could be someone else playing baseball. _

_That's not very scary at all. _Neve piped up.

_Exactly. _

_So…um…can we play out here, Mama? _Rame asked.

I took one look at their muddy paws and knew that they were gonna need a bath anyway. So I shrugged. _Go ahead. _

_Yes! _They sprinted across the yard to their enclosure, yipping excitedly.

I couldn't help it. I followed them in. I felt like I was five again as I romped around in the rain and mud with them. For the first time in a while I felt really…carefree. I looked down at my pups. It was damn near impossible to tell them apart, they were all covered in mud. When I looked closer, I could see distinct features. There was…Rame…Neve…Alba…Luna…Scuro…Fango…Luna again…

_Fango?_

I looked again to where I'd just seen three pups splashing in a mud puddle. One…two…three…. My breath caught in my throat. For a second, Fango's gaze locked with mine and he winked. Alba darted in front of him and when she'd gone, so had he. I breathed again.

What had Fango been doing here?

_What are you mud puppies doing? _Seth trotted into the enclosure.

The sight of my brother's pale, spotless pelt brought my attention back to everything. I smirked and dropped into a crouch. _Mud puppy, eh?_

The pups turned to look at the two of us.

_Uncle Seth is a bit clean, isn't he? _I said in a sing-song voice.

I saw Alba grin deviously out of the corner of my eye.

Seth's eyes widened. _No…oh no…NO! _

_Kids, I think Seth needs a bit of mud on his pelt._

_Charge! _Scuro howled then jumped at Seth. Then jumped too and tackled him, splattering his clean pelt with mud. I sat back, watching with enjoyment and pride.

_Ugh! Leah! I'll get you for this! _Seth warned.

_Save it, turd. _I snorted.

Rame looked up at me. _Mama, what's a turd?_

Dammit.

* * *

**Ok I can't remember if I address this or not later, so I'll explain.**

**Werewolf mindlink - communication through thoughts like shape-shifters, not the linking of minds. They speak with their thoughts, only sharing what wants to be shared, but anyone in the link can hear. Leah has discovered Edward can hear her thinking if she _wants_ him to, like the link Sam and Jacob have after the packs split? Ok? K.  
**


	6. Visitors

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

_Sit still, Rame. Luna, sit up straight. Neve, Alba, quit fighting. Scuro! No! Get over here! _

_Yes, Mama. _

_Oh look at yourself, Scuro, you're a mess!_

_Ach! Mama! _He protested as I smoothed his head fur._ OK! OK! I'm ready!_

_You're not ready until I say you're ready. …OK, you're ready._

He huffed angrily and sat down next to Rame.

_I don't get why we have to look nice. _Neve grumbled.

_Today is important. _

_Why, Mama_? Scuro asked.

"Leah? Are you ready?" Esme called.

I barked twice. _Yes, Esme!_

"You may go up." Momma-vampire told the visitors.

I could hear them coming up the stairs.

_Mama, what's going on? _Luna barked.

_You'll see. Now sit up straight._ They did as they were told.

_Here they come… _

_Who?_

A girl poked her head around the door. She spotted us atop the cushions.

"Oh my gosh! They're so cute!" Lily squealed and skipped in. Her older twin, Rea, was right behind her. Even though I knew these two were trustworthy, that didn't stop from my ears flattening and my hackles rising.

The twin's sudden arrival and swift approach plus my apprehension caused a fear to run down the line of my pups. Alba let out a terrified wail and darted under my tail; Neve backed away until she was half-hidden behind my body; Luna whined and dropped onto her belly and put her paws over her eyes. Rame and Scuro bared their tiny fangs and growled, but I could see them trembling from head to tail.

Lily and Rea slowed a few meters away and watched us warily. I showed a bit of my teeth and they backed away near the wall. I raised my chin and glared a little before reaching forward and nosing Rame and Scuro. The action uncovered Alba and Neve who quickly darted behind me. _Calm down, it's alright. They're just excited to see you. That's all. They won't hurt you._ I was trying to convince myself of that. _Look, Edward's just out in the hallway. He won't let them hurt you and neither will I._

_Some of them smell funny, Mama._ Neve said bluntly.

I barked a laugh and looked at the others waiting in the doorway. Sam was there, naturally, with his wife Emily by his side. Paul, Jared, Collin, Brady, and Daniel were there too, and behind them, Mom and Charlie were watching warily. I gave Lily and Rea a slightly cold look and sat back down.

_Alba, Neve, come on out._ I said as I beckoned everyone in with my tail. Hesitantly, the dark sandy and snow white she-pups padded out to sit beside their siblings.

_Who are they, Mama?_ Alba whimpered as the others got closer.

_My old pack, my mom and her new husband, Charlie._ I said._ So they're your aunts, uncles, grandma and…grandpa. Like the Cullens are to Renesmee._

That got them excited.

I stood up and stepped over them and walked down towards the visitors. The five of them followed me down. I barked once, sharply, and they stopped at the base of the pillows and waited. I stopped at the person in front of the group, Sam, cocked my head to one side and gave him a look.

He smiled nervously. "Jacob told you how I reacted, huh?"

I nodded and flicked my tail once.

Sam chuckled. "What can I say?"

I rolled my eyes and looked at Emily. She smiled. "Hi, Leah."

As I drew in oxygen, I caught a strong whiff of her scent. It was…different.

I reached forward and gave her a gentle nudge towards my waiting pups. Emily's smile became warm and she walked forward and knelt down on one knee in front of them. Sam followed her slowly. She reached a hand towards the closest, Luna, who sniffed.

_Mama, she doesn't smell like a wolf or a vampire._

_That's because she's a human._

_Like Renesmee?  
_

_No, she's only _half _human. Emily is full human._

Neve stared at the scarred half of Emily's face. _What's wrong with her face?_

_She got…hurt. But don't worry, she's friendly. She's my cousin._

Emily was starting to look nervous, then Neve stretched her muzzle forward and licked Emily's had.

_Mmm! She tastes like those chicken legs Esme made us! _

_Really?_ Alba licked Emily's hand and barked excitedly. _She does_! Luna started licking that hand too and Rame and Scuro licked Emily's other one.

"What are they doing?" she laughed.

"What were you cooking before you got here?" Sam asked.

"Chicken breast…" her eyes got round. "Oh…!"

I growled softly. _Enough. She isn't edible. Rame, I mean it_. The other four scooted back, but the deep russet pup continued to lick Emily's hands.

I growled and flattened my ears, my tail lashing once.

Rame flattened his ears and backed away. Emily looked down at her hands and groaned quietly. I flicked my tail at a towel on the dresser and she smiled gratefully before going to wipe her hands off.

Then Sam kneeled down in front of them. I saw his eyes searching their faces intently. Scuro marched forward and thrust his muzzle into Sam's face, sniffing him.

_He's a wolf!_ He declared_. Probably the Alpha. Something about him smells like Uncle Jake._

"He does look a lot like me." Sam murmured. I winced a little. "Hey, handsome fella. Scuro, right?" He gave Scuro's ears a scratch.

_He knows my name!_ Scuro barked excitedly.

I looked at everyone else and inclined my head towards my pups. The walked forward to greet the tiny wolves.

Nessie skipped in with her arms full of puppy toys then walked out to her dad in the hallway.

Charlie had Neve in his lap and she had her paws on his chest and she was licking his chin and wagging her tail while Sue rubbed her back. Sam was giving Scuro the best belly rub he'd ever gotten and his tail thumped on Daniel's back. Paul and Jared playing with Rame, a little roughly, until I growled and Rame ran to get a tug-of-war rope from the pile of toys Nessie delivered. Brady stood up and turned on an orange lava lamp and he, Collin, and Alba were watching the insides move about while the boys gave her a good ear scratch. Rea and Lilly had finally ventured over and were now talking to Luna about being the smallest in their pack too. Luna was slightly offended, I could hear it in her thoughts, but she didn't show it.

I smiled and sat down.

My mom walked over to me and I lowered my head to gently nose her cheek. "They're sweet little things, Leah."

I wagged my tail. _Thanks, Mom._

"You've done well, for your first time."

_Mama! Mama!_ Neve bounded over to me. _Mama! I heard Lily telling Luna that she can become a white wolf! Can I see them phase, Mama?_

_Erm…it's a bit too small in here for that many wolves. _

_Can we go outside?_

_Um…alright. Come on, everyone._ I stepped over Neve and headed for the door. I heard the pups scramble free from the visitors and follow me. I looked over my shoulder at my family and friends and motioned for them to follow with my tail.

I let the pups run ahead of me; down the hall, the stairs, and they skidded to a halt at the front door. They milled about, whimpering and yelping until Alba reared up and pawed at the doorknob. Then she grasped it firmly between her paws and turned it. Scuro shoved his nose through the small opening that appeared and scrambled through. Rame barked and took off after him.

I tried to show pride at my pups' cleverness, but I was very uneasy. Now they knew how to get out of the house alone.

They bounded into their enclosure, like usual, and sat down in the middle. I hovered a few feet behind him while everyone else filed in, looking around curiously. I didn't blame them. The Cullen girls had had a blast at finding all sorts of backyard toys for the pups, including swings (for when they were able to phase), slides, a nice obstacle course, and playhouse. There was also a small pond for them to splash around in. And, of course, a garden hose-powered sprinkler.

"This is amazing." Lily said.

I motioned for them to come closer then I scratched a single word into the dirt beside Alba.

_Phase. _

Lily looked at Sam for permission. He nodded. Those who could phase hurried off to do so, leaving us alone with Sue, Charlie, and Emily.

"I must say, Leah, I nearly had a heart attack when Seth told us you had kids." Charlie chuckled. "I was ready to kill the bastard responsible before he explained."

Rame looked at me. _Mama, what's a bast—?_

_Ah, ah!_ I cut him off with a sharp growl. _Don't you start that again!_

_Sorry, Mama._

I gave Charlie an angry look.

_Oh my gosh!_ Alba screamed and ran behind me. I looked up to see what had scared her.

Sam, Paul, Jared, Collin, Brady, Lily, Rea, and Daniel now stood in a line in front of us. Jacob, Quil, Embry, and Seth walked in behind them as wolves.

Neve whimpered then all but fainted.

_Oops._ Seth said. _Sorry._

I growled at my pack. _You four, outta here._

_Sorry, Leah._ Jacob apologized, backing away.

Once they were gone, the pups seemed slightly calmer. Scuro was the first to walk forward, shaking the whole time, and he stopped directly in front of Sam. He looked like a house cat next to a Great Dane. Ears flattened, tail between his legs, he cowered in front of the great black wolf. Then Sam reached a paw forward and tickled Scuro's belly. Scuro barked and laughed and rolled over.

_It's Sam!_

_He's huge! _Neve hissed.

_Uncle Jake is bigger!_ Rame boasted.

_Whatever._ Neve walked forward until she could stretch up and bump noses with Lily. _You're pretty, Lily!_

_Mama, which one is this?_ Luna was in front of the tall, dark silver wolf.

_That's Paul._

_Mama! Mama! He looks like me!_ Rame was running around Collin's paws. Collin looked surprised. I didn't want to point out that Collin was darker than him.

_Mama…no one looks like me._ Alba whispered then looked up me with big, pitiful eyes. _Why don't I look like anyone?_

_You look like Seth,_ I pointed out.

_But he's lighter than me._

I sighed. _I don't know, Alba._

She said nothing and padded over to Rea and sniffed the dark brown she-wolf.

"Leah…" Emily said softly and I looked at her. "I…think I should tell you…um…I'm pregnant."

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. So that's why she smelled different!

She looked sad, misunderstanding my reaction. "I shouldn't have said anything."

I shook my head and gently nosed her belly. I gave her the warmest look I could. Slowly, the good half of her mouth turned into a soft-smile.

"You're not…mad?" She asked.

I shook my head. In a way, I was pretty much over Sam. I had my own family now, I didn't need him. Emily did. Besides, they were married. A lot of married couples have kids.

"Thanks, Leah." Then she laughed. "I guess, if it's a boy, I'll have my own wolf pup."

I barked a laugh.

She'd just have to let our pups play together when they were old enough.


	7. Father

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

_Mama, who is our father? _Neve asked one night as they were having their before-bed play time.

I stiffened and stared at her. Everyone stopped playing and looked at me expectantly. I knew they would ask eventually, but I wasn't prepared for it. I didn't know their father. There was no way to explain that without revealing their real mother, too. And I wasn't sure I was ready to end the blissful fantasy created in their minds.

_Yeah, Mama. Who is our papa? _Luna asked.

_Erm…why do you ask? _I asked hesitantly. Maybe I could deter them.

_Well, because Nessie has a mommy and a daddy, Bella and Edward, and so does everyone else here. So…we must have a daddy too. Is it that big black wolf, Sam? He looks a lot like Scuro. _Neve may be shy, but she was very watchful.

_I…uh…_I sighed. _No…it's not Sam._

_Then who is?_

_I… don't know._

_What? _Scuro narrowed his eyes. _How can you not know who our father is, Mama?_

_Because…_ I flattened my ears and sighed again. _I'm not…I'm…_

Alba whimpered softly. _Mama?_

I sighed once more. _That's just it. I'm…I'm not your Mama. _I whispered.

It was quiet for a few seconds then Scuro whispered. _What?_

I took a deep breath and spoke clearly. _I am not your real mother._

Rame marched up to me, fur bristling. _What do you mean? _He demanded.

I bowed my head. _I mean I didn't give birth to you, you don't share my blood, we aren't related at all…hell, we're not even the same species. We just…look like it. I'm a shape-shifter and you five are…werewolves. Your parents were werewolves. I just adopted you._

_What? _Luna wailed._ How can we not be your pups?_

I sighed. _You just aren't. _

_Where's our _mother _then? _Rame showed his teeth.

I looked in his angry emerald eyes. _She died just after you were born._

There were a few whimpers and low howls and Alba bowed her head.

_Tell us what happened. _Rame ordered, less angry now.

I nodded. _Sam asked us to run the territory border to check for enemies on the night you were born. Seth found you and your mother, but your mother was dying. Before she died she asked him to make sure you all survived. He and your other uncles brought you back to me and asked me to be your adoptive mother. At first, I was mad at them for it, then Seth put you, Alba, at my feet, and you crawled over to me and…I just couldn't turn you all away. So I agreed to take care of you. I had the honor to speak to your mother on the night you became a month old. _

_What happened? What did she say? What does she look like? What's her name? _Neve asked.

_Her name was Noami. _I said. _And she was beautiful. She was chocolate brown, but at the same time she was the most stunning silver and she seemed to glow and shine. She was beautiful. Fango was just as handsome._

_Is Fango our father? _Scuro asked.

I shook my head. _No. He was your brother._

_We have another brother? _Rame asked.

_Had, _Luna corrected.

_What happened to him?_

_He died just after or before birth. He had muddy brown fur. They told me that you were werewolves and that we had to protect you from evil vampires that don't like werewolves. And Noami, your mother, thanked me for taking care of you. I never saw your father, I'm sorry. But she did say she would talk to me again. I don't know when, but I know someday._

_When you do, tell her we want to see her too! _Rame was bossy again.

_I don't need to. She can hear you now because she's watching over you. _

_Where? _

I sighed. _Pups, I promise I'll explain it all when you're older, but right now it's time for sleep._

_We want to know now! _Neve protested.

_Too bad. It's time for you to sleep. Who knows, maybe your mother will speak to you as you sleep._

The pups dashed for the pile of cushions and curled up to sleep. I felt a pang when I noticed they'd curled up a bit far from me. All but one.

Alba stood defiantly at the base of the mountain.

_Alba, come on. _

_No. _She said stubbornly. _I don't want to sleep because I don't want Noami to talk to me. _You _are Mama. _

I thought my heart would burst with affection for the sandy pup.

_Come here, Alba. _I said gently.

She walked forward slowly. When she was close enough, I stretched my paw out and pulled her close. _If you don't want to talk to her then that's your choice. I'm sure she'll respect it._

_Good. _She curled up there and nuzzled my cheek with her nose. _Goodnight Mama._ She gave her brothers and sisters an expectant look before resting her head on her paws.

The other pups looked at each other for a moment, then Scuro and Neve scooted closer to me before resting their heads on their paws. Rame and Luna didn't move. I sighed and tried to ignore the stabbing in my chest that their glares caused.

_We love you, Mama. _Neve murmured before drifting off to sleep.

I wasn't surprised at all that I found myself in the misty forest again. I sat down and waited patiently. I knew better then to try and walk through the mist.

_Look this way please, Leah._

_Fango! _I whirled and stared at the pup. _You're bigger._

Fango smiled. _For as long as they grow I will too._

_Then you'll be huge one day, won't you?_

_I certainly hope so. _His voice darkened. _I will need my strength for what is to come. So will they._

_What's to come?_

He lowered his gaze. _Fate._

_Ugh. Do you spirits always have to speak in code? It's like this in all the books and movies! Why can't it be different in real life?_

_Because sometimes not even we no everything, Leah. _Fango said patiently. _Now, since I have to visit another dream tonight, I will make this quick._

_You sound like businessman. _

_Thanks, _he said sarcastically. _Now, Leah, I need you to try and understand something. I know you feel betrayed by Rame and Luna, but look at it from their point of view. You are the only mother they have ever known, and now you tell them not only are you not their mother, but their real mother, and father, are dead and they have a deceased brother they never knew. As far as they know, you are keeping many more secrets from them…and you are._

_Because they aren't ready to know these things yet! _I snarled.

He flicked his ears. _I know. But just be patient with them. In time, they will forgive you._

_I hope._

_Good luck, Leah. Oh and by the way…I hope you enjoy your shopping trip with _Auntie _Alice. _

My eyes flipped wide. _What?_

Fango grinned, flicked his tail, and padded away into the mist.

I knew better than to try and follow him.


	8. Changes

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

I was jerked awake by an earsplitting screech. Shredding a pillow as I sprung up, I snarled, ready to fight, to defend my pups. Almost instantly, my eyes fell on a child huddled in the middle of the room. She had creamy skin and white hair and was shaking all over.

I stared at her. _Who are you?_

She looked up and whimpered. "Mama, what's happened to me?"

I yelped and jumped back. Neve!

I looked down at the pups clustered at my feet. The white pup was nowhere to be seen. I looked up at the human and titled my head curiously. So Neve was the first to phase. I walked forward and nosed her cheek gently, reassuringly.

"Mama, what's happening to me?" She asked, wrapping her tiny arms around my muzzle.

"Is she alright?" Nessie asked nervously from the doorway. I nodded. "Can we come in?"

I nodded again. Alice shooed the males away then she Rosalie, Esme, Bella, and Nessie clustered around Neve. I frowned and wrapped my tail around her protectively. So many vamps around my defenseless daughter made me edgy.

"So, how does it feel?" Bella asked.

Neve was still trembling. "Scary…I want to go back."

_That might take time. _I thought. It took us days to learn to shift back. But, then again, we weren't werewolves.

"You'll have to learn," Bella said. "That's what Jake told me."

Neve whimpered.

"_How _did you phase, anyway?" Nessie asked the very thing I'd been wondering.

"I don't know." Neve said. "One minute, I was trying to reach up and turn on the blue lava lamp, the next minute I felt something weird come over me, and my fur seemed to slide into my arms and my face went flat, my paws kinda split…then I was like this. I'm not sure how I did it…."

"Well, it doesn't really matter how you did it, the point is you did it." Alice said briskly. "So, you're going to need clothes."

Esme and Bella's faces became instantly sympathetic while Rosalie and Renesmee's eyes lit up. I sighed. So Fango had been right after all.

_Come on…come on…phase already!_

I looked behind me. Rame had his face screwed up in concentration and he was trembling with effort. Scuro had padded over to the lava lamps and was reaching up too. Luna had reared up and was trying to walk around. Alba alone remained sitting. She watched her sibling's futile attempts with amusement.

_Alba, aren't you going to try? _I asked.

_I don't need to _try_. I practiced plenty last night. _

_Oh? _She got everyone's attention. _With who?_

Alba's mouth opened up in a wofly smile. _Fango. He's really nice._

I tilted my head. _Oh really? Let's see, then._

Alba took a deep breath and closed her eyes. We all watched, amazed, as she started to change before our eyes, like a wave starting at her head and traveling down the length of her body. Her fur seemed to recede into her body and the fur on her face drew back to her head and sank down past her new shoulders; her face flattened out; her tail seemed to merge with her back and her ears rounded out. Finally, her fur vanished all together and she was left with rich, creamy skin like Neve's, and sandy hair that matched her fur.

_Holy crap! _Rame jumped away from his sister. If I hadn't been so stunned, I might've been angry at Emmett for cursing all the time.

Alba peeked one eye open and looked at us.

"Hi Alba," Nessie said cheerfully.

Alba bit her lip and looked down at her arms, turning them over so she could see every angle. "Hmm," She murmured. "I look different. When we practiced, I had stuff on my arms."

"Stuff?" Bella asked.

"Um…silver moons and stars, mostly." Her lip jutted out in an adorable pout. "They were pretty. I want them back."

"Well, we'll find you a shirt or something with moons and stars on it when we're at the mall today." Alice promised. Alba's eyes grew wide and bright.

"Do I get to go too?" Neve asked, her eyes growing round.

"Of course!"

"We're going outside of the woods!" Neve squealed.

Nessie scrambled up and bounded out of the room. "I'll get them clothes to wear to the store!"

Luna let out a pitiful howl. _I want to go too! Leah, can I go?_

I winced. So I was going to be called Leah now, it seemed. Dimly, I wondered if that was one reason why she couldn't phase. Then I brushed the thought aside. Luna was the runt. She'd phase eventually.

_Um…I don't know. They don't let dogs into stores, never mind wolves._

Luna let out another mournful howl.

"I _think_ Luna wants to go too." Alba said, wrinkling her nose at the word think. "It's weird not being able to hear her."

Luna nodded and whined. _I wanna see what's outside the woods!_

Alice's brow furrowed and she stared at Luna with a frown on her face. I could almost see the mind of the vampire fashion diva working behind the serious golden eyes. She had to know every rule of the stores she planned on hauling us to by heart. The seriousness was suddenly replaced by sparkling craftiness and a sly grin stretched across her face.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. Rosalie, Bella, make sure Leah, Alba, and Neve are decent. Especially fix their hair." She glanced at the ratty mass of hair on the two werewolves. "Also, make sure Luna's fur is well-groomed. Esme, can you tell the boys that they're to watch Rame and Scuro for the day?"

"Jacob will want to go with us if Renesmee is going." Bella pointed out.

"Well Jacob can't." Alice said simply then hurried out of the room.

_I want to go, too. _Rame complained.

_No, _I said. _No you don't. Trust me_.

Nessie hurried back into the room with clothes in her arms. She put two pairs of shorts, socks, underwear, shoes, shirts in front of Neve and Alba. Rosalie and Nessie took Rame and Scuro so Esme and Bella could get Alba and Neve dressed while I went to phase and get dressed myself.

I kept it simple. A tan tank top and a pair of khaki capris. When I came back, Alba and Neve looked so normal despite their odd-colored hair, that for a second at least, I thought they really were humans. We were ushered into Alice and Jasper's room, specifically The Chair, as I'd dubbed it long ago. Somehow, it didn't seem so frightening without Alice perched behind it.

Luna sat patiently by Neve and Alba while their eyes ran over the mini saloon warily. "What is all this, Mama?" Alba asked.

I sighed inwardly. I'd have to go first to demonstrate. Oh the sacrifices I make…

I sat down in the chair and tried not to shudder as Rosalie started messing with my hair. I was alright with the vamps as long as they kept a reasonable distance and didn't burst my personal space bubble that had just been ruptured. Bella filled up the bathtub while Rosalie worked with my hair.

"See?" I said to Alba and Neve when Rosalie was finished washing out my hair, blowing it dry, and combing it. "That's all that's going to happen."

"Me first!" Alba blurted out and hopped into The Chair. Rosalie smiled, it was warm and sweet, unlike the poison honey smile she used a lot and started her work on the mess of locks.

"Ouch!" Alba squeaked. "That hurt!"

"Sorry," Rosalie apologized then picked a purple bottle off the counter. She squirted probably half the bottle on Alba's hair then started combing again.

"That's much better." Alba sighed.

Bella whistled. "Hey, Luna, come on. Bath time."

Luna's ears flattened and she whined uneasily. I would never understand why the canine species seemed to loathe baths.

"Luna, go." I glared at me defiantly and I glared back. "Luna Clearwater, get into the tub right now before I go get Embry to force you in."

She didn't budge. I could almost hear her challenge. _You're not my mother. You can't tell me what to do._

"Luna, get your bath right now or you're _not _going to the store with us. You can stay here with the boys while they stuff themselves and watch football."

She whined but darted for the tub. Bella pulled the shower curtain around herself to avoid getting hit with the water that flew out when Luna jumped into the soapy bath. Alba and Neve roared with laughter until Rosalie made Alba sit still so she could finish.

Bella squirted an entire bottle of strawberry-scented soap onto Luna's pelt and started scrubbing with a sponge and her fingers. Luna grumbled throughout the entire bath, her ears flat, but she lifted her tail and paws out of the water obediently and didn't shake. Bella pulled the drain switch up and the tub slowly emptied. She turned on the shower and brought the head down to Luna's pelt. She ran her fingers through Luna's thin, summer pelt, making sure all the soap got out. She sprayed her paws off then helped her of the tub. Luna waited patiently while Bella toweled her then ran a comb through her fur.

By then, both girls were done so Rosalie was able to aim two hair dryers at the dark silver fur with Bella. Luna heaved a sigh now and then and lashed her tail repeatedly.

I examined Alba and Neve with interest. With their hair up I could study them properly. In a way, they reminded me of Nessie. There was something cherubic about their faces that made them almost irresistibly cute. They were slender, but not too slender, and their hair was shiny. They looked about four years old, which scared me. They were aging so fast…even more than Renesmee had. I could only imagine how they would look in a few more months.

_Don't panic, Leah. _I told myself. _Remember Biology? Wolves age a lot quicker than humans. Werewolves must do that too._

When Luna's fur was dry, they ran combs and brushes through her fur again until it almost shined. She stood proudly with her chin raised, wagging her tail.

"Alice is back." Bella reported.

A second later, Alice was in the bathroom examining us. There was a bag in her hands. "Well done." She announced. "They look superb."

"What's in the bag, Alice?" I asked.

Alice grinned and set it down. She took out a black collar and put it around Luna's neck. Luna growled softly and Alice flicked her nose. My lips drew back just a bit.

"Don't growl at me. You want to go shopping with us, right?"

Luna nodded.

"Then we have to do this." Alice took something dark green out of the bag and put it on Luna's back.

"You're a genus." Bella praised.

I read the words on the vest: _Guide Dogs for the Blind_. Then I laughed. "You want Luna to be a guide dog in training?"

Alice smiled. "They allow service pets in the stores. Leah, you'll pretend to be the one raising her and walk her on the leash. No one will be suspicious and she can come with us. And you, Luna, will have to be on your best behavior and act like a responsible big girl."

Luna nodded.

"OK then." Alice took one final thing out of the bag, a black leash, and hooked it to the collar where forged ID tags were. "Shall we go?"

Alba, Neve, and Luna bounced excitedly. "Yes!"

I took the leash from the pixie. Alice smiled and led us downstairs to the entryway. All the boys plus Esme and Nessie were assembled to watch our little parade. Rame and Scuro gawked at their sisters.

Seth knelt down in front of Neve and Alba and studied them. "You're Alba…" he tapped Alba's nose with his forefinger. "And you're Neve." He tapped her nose too. They nodded.

Quil wolf whistled, "Lookin' good, girls." And I shot a glare at him. He grinned back.

"Are we ready?" Nessie asked excitedly. I swear she was a little Alice sometimes.

"Yes. You and your mother will be riding with me in the Porsche and the rest of you will go with Rosalie." Alice said, then to Rosalie she added. "Rose, just follow me, OK?"

Rosalie nodded seriously.

"Keep practicing while we're gone." Alba muttered to her brothers. "You have to really _want _the transformation and you have to _will _it. Let go of your wolf and welcome your human."

Scuro and Rame nodded.

When we were walking outside, I looked back at the pups I was leaving behind. I was going to be so far from them…the only reason I left them was because my pack would be with them.

My sonshad their heads close together and for a second, I thought I saw the faint form of a familiar brown wolf whispering into their ears. But when I blinked, he was gone.

_Fango, what are you up to? _

_You'll see._ His voice whispered in my ear.

I shivered and swatted at my ear.


	9. Shopping Suprises

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

Watching their eyes, wide and amazed, taking in the streets of Port Angeles I felt a strange happiness. Seeing them so happy, made me happy. They pointed out things as we passed; the movies, a park, the pier, the airport, restaurants, boutiques, pet stores, bookstores…anything that caught their eyes.

Luna's tail was thumping against the seat as she leaned out the side of the car. Alba and Neve watched her for a second, then they were all pressed tight together and had their heads sticking out the window. People on the sidewalk and in parallel cars stared, especially when Luna started howling. She didn't sound like the dog she was pretending to be, but a true, wild-born wolf.

People looked around for the source and seemed surprise to see it coming from a porche.

"Hush up," I hissed when a police officer took notice. He looked over at us and narrowed his eyes. I smiled politely, nervously, but the three of them continued to giggle and howl, blissfully unaware of Johnny Law watching them.

"Shut up," I growled, turning around. "You're going to get us in trouble!"

Alba and Neve sobered up and Luna stopped howling, but she made low _wuff wuff _sounds every so often.

Alice pulled into the parking lot of a huge mall and somehow managed to find two spots close to the door. Her psychic gift probably helped. Alba, Neve, and Luna stared at the building.

"Mama…what is this place?" Alba asked.

Rosalie answered for me. "It's called a mall. And with Alice you'll love it or hate it pretty quick."

"What's in there?"

"Just a bunch of stores and stuff," I said as I got out of the car. "I think you'll like it."

I opened the door for them and they scrambled out quickly. I grabbed hold of Luna's leash and crouched down beside her. "Remember, you are a well mannered and well trained dog. You have to behave or they'll make us leave."

Luna nodded, her face solemn, but her wagging tail betrayed her excitement.

"Oh, and you two can't call me Mama in here." I told Alba and Neve. "Just call me Leah."

"Ok, Mama—I mean Leah." Alba said. "Now let's go, let's go, let's go!"

Alice, Bella, Nessie, and Rosalie were already heading inside. Alba and Neve hurried after them, but Luna, surprisingly, decided to walk forward at my pace.

"Good job," I muttered to her. She touched my leg with her nose.

Rosalie, Bella, and Nessie went off on their own after promising to meet at the food court at twelve-thirty to get us with working stomachs some food, leaving us alone with Alice. They seemed perfectly happy to follow Alice from store to store, trying on everything she handed them and everything else that caught their eye. But I noticed Alice got a second of everything they got in a larger size.

When Alice brought us to a rather fancy store, the manager was almost immediately up our asses about Luna, but of course Alice had already gone to get an outfit for them to try.

"No pets allowed!" She all but snarled at us. I gritted my teeth and Alba and Neve gave her venomous looks.

I opened my mouth to coolly reply, but Alba beat me to it.

"Luna is _not _a pet!" Alba pulled her lips back in a wolf-like snarl. The manager took an automatic step back. "Thank you very much."

"Alba, enough," I ordered, glaring at her. "This _nice _lady didn't know."

The human opened her mouth to make a retort, but she never got the chance. (Probably one reason she got away unscathed.)

"Hello Tracy!" Alice sang, skipping over to us.

The manager's face brightened. "Alice Cullen!" She smiled. "How nice to see you again!"

Alice smiled pleasantly. "I hope they're not bothering you."

"Erm, well…"

"Oh dear, I hope you'll forgive them. You see, my father just adopted them and they're not used to places like this yet." She dropped her voice. "They're from rather tough neighborhoods."

Tracy gave us fake, honey-sweet look that had a clear message hidden beneath it. _Riffraff, you don't belong here. _

"And Luna is a service dog." Alice added, pretending to not notice. I smirked. Alice was amazing.

"Oh…well then I guess the dog is allowed." Tracy said uncomfortably. "Just keep her off the merchandise, please."

"Of course," Alice said sweetly. "But you don't have to worry. Luna is very well behaved. We don't even have to hide shoes from her at home."

"Hmm." The manager swept her disapproving gaze over us again. We glared back. She didn't have to act like a bitch. But something about our glowers seemed to unnerve her. Mumbling a goodbye to Alice, she hurried away.

Alice sighed. "Don't be offended. She only shows respect to the customers who look like they can and _do_ pay. She was very unpleasant to me until I spent over one thousand dollars at once. Now she would probably clear the store for me if I asked her to. But to everyone else…"

"She's an asshole." Neve decided then glanced nervously at me. I winked.

"Come on," Alice said briskly and led us to the dressing rooms.

We met up with other vamps in the food court. Rosalie and Alice got us a large table and waited with Luna while Bella took the kids and me up to a McDonalds. The smell coming from the grill and fryers had Alba and Neve practically drooling. Of course…the smell of meat cooking was appetizing to werewolves; we'd learned that when Esme made steak for us grown wolves once. The pups had gone nuts.

I had never been a huge fan of fast food and I knew my mom would disapprove if they got hooked on it. I figured, though, since they had a tough future ahead—saving werewolf kind wasn't going to be a picnic—they might as well get the chance to be normal kids.

And normal kids ate fast food.

Alba and Neve ordered cheeseburger kids meals, Nessie got a salad (she didn't like greasy food) and a chicken nugget meal for Luna, and I ordered a McChicken. We took our food back to the table and sat down.

Before I could take a bite I felt a strange, nagging panic. It was overwhelming and I growled. Something was wrong. The world started to shake. Luna barked once.

"Leah, calm down!"

Alice's hiss made me realize that it wasn't the world shaking, but me. Alba and Neve put their hands on my arms. Looking down at their wary faces stopped the tremors abruptly.

"Sorry." I muttered.

"We feel it too." Alba whispered. My eyes flipped wide.

"Alice!" Bella whispered.

Alice frowned, held up one hand, and closed her eyes. A minute later she opened her eyes and smiled reassuringly. "It's alright." She told us. "We're the only non-humans here…well…except for a small shape-shifter in the kitchen I can't see. Probably a rat or a squirrel."

The thought of meeting a shape-shifter who wasn't kin seemed appealing; until I remembered whoever it was might be hostile or dangerous. I wasn't risking it.

"OK, thanks Alice." I shook the lingering nag away.

"Well dig in already! We have more places to go and no where near enough time!" The diva was back.

I took a quick bite of the sandwich to appease her, then proceeded at a normal rate.

"Oh my gosh! Ma—I mean, Leah! These bags are _magic!_" Alba squealed.

I swallowed my food. "Oh?"

She nodded. "There is a _toy _in it! I didn't see the lady put a toy in!"

Neve gasped and checked hers, then Luna's. "Ours are magic too!"

The rest of us laughed.

"They're not magic," Nessie explained patiently, taking the nugget box out. "Every kids meal comes with some kind of toy." She took out a few nuggets and slipped them under the table. I heard Luna chew them.

Alba pulled out a space ship with a wobbling light brown head out of the bag and made a face. "What _is _it?"

Nessie kept feeding Luna.

Alice leaned forward to examine it. "It's from the new animated Star Wars movie." She announced, then frowned. "But I have no idea who it is."

"They _animated _Star Wars?" I wrinkled my nose. "Screw up a good series, why don'tchya?"

"You like those movies?" Rosalie asked curiously.

I shrugged. "Kinda…my dad used to love it. I guess it reminds me of him. But animating it…_God!_"

"Who do you think it is?" Alice asked, holding the stupid toy up.

I looked at the ship and face closely then finished off my sandwich. "I think it's Luke Skywalker."

Rose looked closer then her eyes widened. "Let's not show this to Emmett. He'll flip. He loves Star Wars."

I'll _bet _he does.

Luna was on her fries now. Nessie handed her the open water cup and I heard her tongue lapping up the water.

Neve got Yoda—she about had a heart attack too—and I had no idea who Luna got. Some weird red thing with what looked like tan hair.

"So, what's your favorite shirt?" Nessie asked Alba casually.

"A light purple t-shirt with blue crescent moons on it." Alba smiled at Alice. "Aunt Alice promised we'd find one and we did!"

"Mine is light blue with snowflakes!" Neve piped up.

We threw the wrappings and bags away and I saw Alba hide the toys in the one of their bags.

"Where next?" Alba asked.

"We need to find you some decent pajamas." Alice said. "Because you we don't know when you'll be able to phase back."

Neve frowned. "What are pajamas?"

"Clothes you wear to bed." Nessie explained.

"Well, why can't we just wear normal clothes to bed?" Alba asked. "Why do they have to be different?"

Nessie frowned. "I…I don't know."

I smiled.

From then moment we walked into the house, I knew something was different.

Jacob wasn't running to see Renesmee; Edward wasn't waiting for Bella; no one was in the kitchen; and there was a ruckus going on in the game room. The nagging feeling from earlier flared back up and I dropped the bags I was carrying and sprinted towards the game room. I was barely aware of Luna, Neve, and Alba running right behind me.

I practically flew around the corner, one hand gripping the wall so I could swing around. I looked wildly around the room, but no one seemed to notice me. I didn't even get a "hey Leah" from Seth. Everyone was entirely focused the video game battle. Jasper, Edward, Carlisle, Seth, Quil, Embry, Jacob, Esme, and Rame were perfectly silent on the couches while Emmett battled a stranger. Both of them were so intense about it that I wondered how the controller was still intact.

Where was Scuro?

"Dammit!" Emmett slammed the controller on the ground (it broke) and glared down at the stranger. "Rematch!"

Rame howled excitedly.

I was enraged. _WHERE IS SCURO?_ I thought directly at Edward.

Edward and Jasper looked at me. "Calm down, Leah." They said at the same time.

Only then did everyone else seem to realize I was there. Everyone turned to look at me and the stranger stood up. It was a child.

He stared at me and I stared back. He had shabby black hair that fell just past his shoulders, well-muscled arms for someone his age, and his skin was rich and creamy. My black eyes found his green ones and I felt a smile creep over my face.

"Scuro."


	10. Goodbye

**At this point, Luna and Rame have learned to shift.  
**

**Luna- same slender build as her sisters' and she has silvery, almost gray, hair.**

**Rame- muscular like Scuro, but a bit more stocky. Deep-russet hair down to his shoulders.**

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.  
**

* * *

**Leah**

_Two weeks later_

"No! No! I won't leave! You can't make me!" Luna screeched.

I sighed and rubbed my temples.

My five children glared at me. They were standing in a line in the center of their now empty room. Somehow, they thought that, even after everything we were taking with us had been packed and loaded into the trucks, they would be able to stop the move.

"I can and I _am, _little lady." I half-growled.

Luna, who was crouched down and half-hidden behind her many locks of silvery-gray hair, glared mutinously at me. "I. Will. Not. Leave."

"Oh yes you will."

"Why do we have to leave, Mama?" Alba asked.

I had hoped this would be easy, but each and every one of them were hell bent on staying in the great white house where they'd spent their entire lives and had zero interest in moving to Alaska.

"Because the Cullens are moving." I'd explained this before, but either they hadn't listened or hadn't understood. "We can't just stay here alone."

"Our uncles can stay here too!" Rame growled.

"Jacob has to go with the Cullens because of Renesmee. Why he has to stay with her is a conversation for a later day. Seth and I have to stick with him because he is our Alpha. Quil and Embry are the only ones not going to Alaska with us."

"Why do _they _get to stay behind?"

"Because they have to stay with Kayla and Claire. They're, um, well those are their soul-mates. They'll be really sad if they can't be with them. Alaska is too far away from here for them to run back and forth all the time and Claire and Kayla can't come with us. They have to stay with their families. Embry and Quil will still be a part of our pack even though we won't see them as often."

"So why can't we stay here like that too?" Alba asked.

"Because Seth wants to stay with Jake and I need to stay with Seth. He's my brother. Plus, you five need to stay with the Cullens. They help protect you."

"Protect us from who?"

I hesitated for a second then shook my head. "Now isn't the time."

They looked ready to protest, but thankfully Emmett chose that moment to make his appearance. "So the standoff isn't turning out great, huh, Leah?" He asked.

I glared.

"No problem." He grinned "We'll get them down to the Carrier."

I blinked and my gaze flicked from the five, to Emmett, and back again. "How…?"

His grin grew bigger. "Jazz, Ed, Rose, come here!"

The Calvary arrived with grim smiles and didn't even wait for my permission before walking past me and plucking each of the stubborn werewolves off the floor.

Scuro let out a howl of rage when he and Neve got trapped in Emmett's grip. Emmett chuckled darkly as Neve pounded on his arms with her fists and scratched with her nails. "That tickles."

Neve screeched angrily.

"NO! I won't go!" Luna howled as Rosalie carried her out of the room. I followed them out.

Rame was snarling inches from Edward's face. He tried kicking Edward in the crotch and all he got was a sprained foot. I winced. Only Alba didn't really fuss. She jerked around in Jasper's arms a bit before just going limp under the weight of Jasper's calming influence.

Rosalie hissed angrily. Luna had sunk her teeth into Rosalie's arm. Her little teeth were somehow strong enough to pierce Blondie's flesh.

"Jazz." Edward growled after Rame copied his sister's actions.

I watched as their struggles grew weaker until all they did was jerk around a bit and growl. All except Luna, who kept trying to bite Rose.

The entire pack, plus the imprints, Billy, Charlie, and Sue had come to see us off. All of them laughed like crazy when they saw our little parade. Even Kayla, Embry's girl, who had just recently found out about the supernatural side to us, was there. Emmett flashed a smile at her and her eyes widened considerably.

Jacob went back to talking with Sam and Seth ran over to help us strap the kids into the Carrier.

Alice and Rosalie had hauled me off to a car dealership just before packing had started and told me to pick out a van so we would be able to transport the kids. At first, I headed to the used car section but Alice all but kicked me into the new car section. Out of the five vans I took an interest in, only one received Rosalie's approval—a 2008 Ford E-series.

It seated up to eleven, plenty of room for five growing were-children and a few monster-sized shape-shifters. It was white, but Rosalie and Emmett had painted it gray to match my pelt when we got home, plus they installed a few DVD players in it, added faux fur headrest covers, and tampered with something to make it able to go "fast." She'd explained what she was doing while she worked, but everything just went in one ear and out the other.

"Blah blah blah, blah blah blah, _blah _blah. You get it?"

"Uh…yeah." _What the hell did she just say?_

Emmett had only been joking when he called it theCanine Carrier, but the name ended up sticking. We called it the Carrier for short.

Emily followed the boys a little more slowly, her belly already bulging out to the size of two basketballs. I smiled at her and she put her arm around me to steady herself.

"Dang, Emily How much longer?"

"Abouy four weeks." She replied.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

Her smile grew wide. "Twins. A boy and a girl."

"Twins?" My eyes grew wide. An Alpha's firstborn children, twins and the result of an imprinting to boot! That hadn't happened since the Alpha of the fifth pack before mine had children. The chances of them both being able to become wolves were very high.

"Emily, you're carrying the next Alpha right now!" I whispered.

"If they phase." Emily murmured.

"Oh my!"

Alba had finally noticed Emily. She unbuckled herself and jumped out of the van. She stared curiously at Emily's belly and sniffed. "I smell life inside!"

"You should." Emily smiled. "My children are in there."

She wrinkled her nose. "Whatchya got them in there for? It's gotta be awful uncomfortable."

"They're not ready to be born yet."

"Will they be wolves?" She asked.

"Possibly," Emily murmured. "But if they are, they won't be wolves until they're older, like Leah."

"So…your kids are in your belly?" Alba checked.

"Not for much longer."

Alba nodded and leaned forward. "Hello?" she said softly. She gently put her ear on Emily's belly. She squeaked and jumped back at the same time Emily let out a breath.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Something kicked me!" Alba squeaked.

Alba put her hand on a different spot on Emily's belly. Emily smiled and Alba's grin was one of amazement. "Cool." she said.

"They're reacting to her touch like crazy." Emily muttered to me.

_Must be the wolf in her. _I thought.

Alba pulled her hand back and looked up at me. "Mama, I want to see my mother." She said softly.

My brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean? Oh!" My eyes widened. "Noami?"

She nodded. "I want to see Noami before we leave. And I don't mean in dreams."

Everyone heard her.

"I do too." Neve said and the others nodded.

I hesitated.

"I think it's a good idea." Bella walked over to us and put her hand on Alba's shoulder. "I get to say bye to my father. They should be able to say goodbye to her too, even if they don't know her."

"I'll take them." Seth offered.

"I'm coming too." I said, then looked up at the kids. "Scuro, you and Alba can run. The rest of you will ride."

Scuro nodded and scrambled out of the van. He and Alba ran behind the hedges. Those two were the only ones who knew how to phase both ways. Seth and I went inside to phase.

I came back out and lowered myself onto the ground next to the carrier. Neve and Luna climbed onto my back and Rame climbed onto Seth's.

"We'll be back soon." Luna promised the Cullens.

Seth nodded and bounded into the trees. I ran after him with Scuro and Alba flanking me.

_How far is it, Uncle Seth? _Alba asked.

_Not too far. It's just off the border. _He said grimly. _Good thing too. I might not have found you otherwise and you would've died alongside your mother and brother._

_Seth! _I hissed.

_Don't _Seth _me. You can't keep shielding them Leah. _

_I'll _protect _them as long as I have to!_

_And what's gonna happen when we _don't _need your protection? _Scuro asked mutinously.

I sighed. _You always will. You'll learn why soon._

_Why can't I know _now_?_

_Because we're almost there. _

_She's right…_Seth whispered and he veered sharply to the right. Rame yelped in alarm and gripped Seth's fur tighter.

Alba and Scuro picked up speed.

Seth stopped so abruptly that he nearly threw Rame off his back. Scuro and Alba skidded to a stop and nearly hit a tree. I made a steep u-turn and padded back to them. I whacked Seth on the head so hard he was seeing stars for a minute. Rame hopped off just as Seth's legs buckled.

_Idiot! _I snarled.

'_m sorry…_He murmured, still dazed.

I huffed and lowered myself so Neve and Luna could slide off. They looked around the small clearing dubiously.

"There's nothing here." Luna said.

_Oh yes there is._ Seth thought.

_Is this the place? _Scuro asked.

_Yeah…she's there. _He raised a shaky paw and pointed at a rock near an almost-flattened mound.

Alba sniffed it. _This is Noami?_ She asked dubiously.

_No. She's under there. Her and your brother._

Alba jumped back from the rock as if it had burned her. She looked at the ground and put her paw on what was left of the mound.

"She's here?" Neve whispered, kneeling down on the other side.

Seth nodded and sat up while the others knelt near their mother and brother's grave.

_Mom…_Scuro whispered.

I nudged Seth and we backed away in the hedges, phasing to give them privacy. We sat near the bushes, keeping well away from them. They all stared wordlessly at the grave and I saw a single tear run down Neve's cheek.

Suddenly Alba leaned forward, phasing as she did. It looked like she was sliding out of her wolf-skin. She placed her human hand on the mound and pressed down. She pulled back and seemed to re-enter her wolf-skin, as if she'd just left it behind when she moved. Neve reached forward and put her hand down, then Luna, Rame, and finally Scuro, who did what Alba had done.

I envied their phasing.

We shape-shifters were animal on the inside. Our wolf was just hidden by human skin. We had to burst out of it when we phased, almost like an explosion. And when we phased back we had to retreat into our human skin. Werewolves, apparently, were different. They were never one or the other—human or wolf—but both at all times. Half human—feeding them all the reason, knowledge, skills, and the _sense_ humans have. Half wolf—feeding them instincts, freedom, courage, loyalty, bravery, and ambition wolves have. They could just slip out of one skin whenever they felt and they would be in their other. And—

I was jerked from my thoughts when I saw an almost intangible mist floating around the edges of the clearing near the were-children. I started to tremble, ready to fight, until I saw some of this mist rise up and form a wolf's face. It looked right at me with…ice blue eyes. Alba's eyes.

The rest of the wolf emerged from the mist and stood tall near Alba and Scuro. I got chills the closer I looked at him. He had the same muscular build Scuro and Rame had and the same powerful shoulders all of them had. Then a graceful she-wolf with sparkling green eyes formed. Her slender body matched Alba, Neve, and Luna's. Then a smaller wolf, with bright blue eyes, that matched all five of them.

Then other wolves started to form from the mist. Wolf after wolf floated gracefully to a spot around the clearing.

I nudged Seth and pointed to the wolf sitting right beside him. Seth looked around then looked back to me and mouthed: _What am I looking at?_

I shook my head.

I was the only one who could see them.

"We should go." I finally murmured.

My voice seemed to break whatever magic had come. The wind blew a bit and whisked away all the mist-wolves. Within five seconds there was no trace of them. Not even a scent.

Had I imagined them, then? No. I couldn't have. They were so _real_.

I stood up and backed into the bushes. I heard Luna speak as I phased.

"Goodbye."

No one else said anything on the ride home. Even the mindlink was silent.

At the house, everyone seemed to understand why we were all so solemn. The were-children climbed into the van without a word or protest. Esme unbuckled herself and leaned around from the driver's seat. (She was going to drive most of the way because of her better reflexes.)

"It'll be alright." She murmured to them.

I walked over to my mother and she hugged me before I could even open my mouth to say goodbye. "Be strong, Leah" She whispered. "And, remember, my brave girl, I love you. Call me."

"I will, Mom." I hugged her as tightly as I could without hurting her.

She let go and then Sam gave me a friendly hug and I thought it best not to hug him back. He seemed to understand. He patted my shoulder then Charlie hugged me, then Emily, Paul, Jared, Quil, Claire, Kim, Embry, Kayla, Collin, and Brady; Rea, Lily, and Daniel. My mom got one more hug in until someone honked a horn impatiently.

I tugged on Seth's arm and steered him towards the Carrier. He hopped in the back next to Alba who smiled and I got in the front next to Esme.

I saw Carlisle, Jacob, and Sam shake hands once then Carlisle headed to his Mercedes. Jacob, Quil, and Embry, hugged and thumped each other on the back before Jacob sprinted towards Bella's Ferrari where Nessie was.

"Where are we going, Esme?" Luna whispered.

Esme smiled. "Healy, Alaska."

Luna nodded then turned to look at the house again.

Esme started up the car and I heard Neve break down crying. The parade of vehicles, lead by Carlisle, started out. I knew everyone was looking back at the house, and the group clustered in front of it. I waved bye to my family just as we rounded the corner.

And as we rounded the corner, the white house disappeared from my sight for the last time.


	11. On The Road

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

We stopped in Port Angeles for lunch and to do some minor shopping.

Alice went off to the mall on her own, probably to tell a few friends there goodbye. Esme took me and kids to a store and told us to pick out as many movies as we wanted. I let them go at it and served as the video approver. I was a little surprised at some of the titles that got tossed at me.

All three _Balto Snow Dogs, Eight Below, _the original _All Dogs go to Heaven _movie,and every single one of the freakin' _Air Bud _and _Buddies _movies. Plus a couple Disney classics like _Bambie, The Little Mermaid, _and _The Fox and the Hound. _I had to say no to a few, but they didn't protest. I almost had a heart attack, though, when Rame picked out the first _Paranormal Activity _movie and said it looked interesting_._ I picked a couple good ones I'd thought they'd like or that I wanted to see; _Night at the Museum_, both _Narnia_ movies, and both _Madagascar_ movies.

I figured that would be enough to hold their attention during the long drive to Alaska.

Esme then took us to a grocery store and spent probably two hundred dollars on snacks and such for us, plus a few new coolers.

We passed a store called Calendar Club and there was a wolf calendar in the window. Needless to say, we bought it, then another one for 2009, plus a few toys that were stocked there and some board games. I tried to tell them they shouldn't ask for so much stuff, but Esme said that it was no trouble and "they'll need plenty of toys to keep them occupied during the storms in Alaska." They were so spoiled.

Back in the Carrier, the kids busied themselves with movies and their new toys. Seth had his nose in a book he'd brought with him and Esme was listening to some music, leaving me free to excite myself with the passing scenery. Oh the joy.

There was nothing really fascinating about watching the countryside passing at illegal speeds. I had seen it many times when I ran as a wolf.

"Mama, I need to go to the bathroom."

Neve uttered the words I'd been dreading.

Esme smiled at Neve. "Don't worry. There's a truck stop about two minutes away. We'll stop there."

I nodded.

Our little caravan pulled over in the small trucks top. The few people there stared as the seventeen of us climbed out of the vehicles and made our way over to a group of picnic tables. Carlisle and Esme waved politely and a few adults waved back before moving away from us. I smirked.

Emmett and Jasper pretended to struggle as they pulled two tables together so the watching humans wouldn't be suspicious. Bella took the six kids inside to use the restroom and the rest of us sat down at the tables or leaned against a tree. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett talked just loud enough for human ears to detect a conversation.

Sometimes it amazed me just how well the vamps could blend in with the humans. Sometimes I also wondered if they were a little _too _good.

"Oh my god, look at them."

My head snapped up. A small group of humans—two girls, a blonde and a brunette, and two guys, a redhead and blonde—were staring at us from the picnic shelter a few yards away.

"Look at what that girl by the tree wearing!" The blonde girl was talking about me. "Where do you think she got that outfit?"

"Probably Target." The other said.

For a second I felt self-conscious. I looked down at my old gray t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts, slightly tattered from being bound to my leg during runs, and my cheeks burned. "I got them at Wal-mart." I mumbled and took a deep breath. I caught their very _human _scent on the wind and I remembered…we were more than they could ever hope to be. And at least I wasn't dressing like some damn slut, which was more than I could say for them.

_Bitches. I am a wolf. I don't care what you think._ I thought.

Bella came back out with the children just then and they made their way over to us.

"Wow, someone skipped the pill a few times." One of the girls snickered.

I gawked at her, not caring that I shouldn't have been able to hear her.

Edward growled softly and clenched his fists. Bella looked a little offended and picked Nessie up and held her close. Jacob and Seth didn't seem too pleased either. The rest of the Cullens were completely still.

"What are Indians doing out here?" the red-haired boy wondered aloud.

"What? We're not supposed to be off of the rez or something?" Jacob laughed quietly.

"Look at those girls' crazy hair." The blonde girl said again, her eyes on my kids. "Oh…is that…a _boy?_"

"It _is._" The blonde boy said. "And the one next to him is too."

"Oh wow." The blonde girl tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Somebody needs a haircut."

I growled and started to shake. Seth put a hand on my shoulder. My trembles diminished only slightly.

_We are wolves. It doesn't matter. _

"Look at the mighty hunters." Emmett muttered.

I looked around and saw Scuro, Alba, Neve, Rame, Luna, and Nessie quickly and quietly surrounding a patch of trees. In the middle of the trees, a rabbit was hopping around and sniffing the grass. I grinned and watched, the humans forgotten.

They had it perfectly surrounded and, half-crouched and deathly silent, they slowly moved in. Every single one of them, even Nessie, looked wolfish. In my head, I could see them all as wolves on the hunt. The great black wolf, the deep russet, the snow white, the beautiful silver, the dark sandy…and in Nessie's place, a lithe wolf, like Neve, with rich honey-brown fur, bright chocolate eyes, and powerful claws and muscles to rip fur and flesh with.

They were close enough now to make the kill. I wondered who would jump, but the decision came not two seconds later. Scuro darted forward and the rabbit streaked towards Rame who moved forward. The rabbit swerved and Neve moved at it, then Nessie, Alba, Rame…and Luna swooped in and snatched it up.

Rame whooped gleefully and Luna held their catch up proudly. We all clapped and Emmett whistled loudly.

"Gross!" one of the girls squeaked.

I tried to ignore them and smiled radiantly at the kids.

"Mama, can we keep him?" Neve asked.

I shook my head. "No, sorry guys, but that wouldn't go well." I inclined my head just a bit towards the Cullens. They already resisted humans. Asking them to resist an animal was unfair.

"But, Mama…!" Scuro protested. He fell silent under my glare and Luna released the rabbit. It streaked away.

"Can we have lunch?" Seth asked loudly.

"Sure," Esme said. "Edward, Emmet, help me get the coolers out." The three of them walked over to our cars to get our stuff.

Meanwhile, the kids started playing tag. They were going just a bit too fast, but it didn't matter. The only people watching already thought we were freaks.

Neve noticed the older kids and veered over to the shelter. "Hi!" she chirped. "Do you want to play?"

The blonde girl wrinkled her nose and looked down at her cell phone, while the blonde boy said. "No, we don't."

"Are you sure?" Neve asked, not bothered by the rudeness. "It's really fun! Do you know how? I can teach you."

"I said no!" the boy snapped. "Now get out of here, you little brat."

"Please?"

"I said _no!_" he raised his foot like he was going to kick her and Neve started to cry. She turned around and ran out of the shelter. Seth knelt down and she ran right into his arms and he rubbed her back.

I was already in motion.

"Leah!" Jacob warned.

I ignored him and stormed over to the teenagers. They stood up, anticipating a conflict, and I punched the blonde boy so hard that he actually got shoved backwards and hit the table at an awkward angle.

"Bitch!" the brunette girl screamed and tried to shove me away. I snarled at her and raised my hand to ruin her nose job.

"Leah!"

Jacob and Seth latched onto my arms and pulled me away from the girl, but I knew they both really would like to help me kick ass. I swung and kicked at the kid until I was too far away from to reach. Carlisle and Esme went to do damage control while I was pulled to the Carrier. They set me down in the doorway and placed themselves between the teenagers and me. The other Cullens subtly moved to block my path too. That didn't stop me from vibrating like crazy though.

"Calm down, Mama." Alba said and patted my shoulder. "It doesn't matter what they say."

The fact the mother-daughter roles had been switched would've been kind of funny if I wasn't so damn pissed.

I took a deep breath and steadied myself.

"Look," Bella said quietly and pointed to the shelter. Two grownups were over there with the teenagers and Carlisle and Esme.

"Leah, come here." Esme called.

I sighed and walked over to them, hands in my pockets to hide my fists. The blonde boy leaned away from me and his heart sped up a bit. His eye was already blackening and there was some dried blood around his nose. I bit back a satisfied smirk.

"Leah, you need to apologize." Esme said.

I glared at her. "No, I don't. Not until the son of a bitch apologizes to Neve."

The boy glares at me and so does the brunette girl at his side.

"Neve, come here." I called and Neve carefully made her way to my side. She hid behind my legs, staring up at the humans with sad but reproachful eyes.

"Apologize to my daughter." I ordered. "Right now, or so help me, I'll hit you even harder."

"Leah," Carlisle warned.

"I'm sorry." The boy said to Neve.

Neve sniffed and shook her head, hiding her face in my leg.

"I believe that is our official position on this matter." I said, leaning down to scoop her up, then I whirled around and stormed away. Let Carlisle and Esme deal with the politics of it.

We got back on the road about fifteen minutes later and I was still fuming.

"You really need to control your temper, Leah." Esme said.

"Don't boss me around, Esme." I snapped.

"Leah…" Seth leaned around the seat and put his hand on my shoulder. I glared at him and he stared at me. We had one of those damn "sibling" moments where a silent message passed between us. I sighed and bowed my head.

"Sorry, Emse."

Emse smiled gently. "It's alright, Leah."

I leaned my head against the window and stared out at the passing trees and mountains.

"But, to jump to the defense of you children like that…" she said a few minutes later. "It shows you're a good mother."

I smiled. "Thanks, Esme. By the way, what did you guys do?"

"Carlisle gave the boy a quick check up and gave them money for pain medication." Esme said. "The mother agreed it was a fair trade, all things considering. Lucky for you."

By the next afternoon we were well into Canadian land and the kids were…bored. And thus began the never ending cycle.

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

…

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

…

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

…

"Are we there yet?"

"NO!" I shouted.

Scuro and Rame cackled gleefully and I sighed.

I looked up at Esme who looked like she wanted to laugh.

"_Are _we there yet?" I asked quietly.

"No," she said. "We're at least half a day away."

I groaned and closed my eyes. I must've fallen asleep because it seemed like seconds instead of hours later when Seth cried out in horror.

I screamed as I burst into consciousness.

"WHAT?" I looked around to see what he'd shouted about and screamed again.

The kids were seemingly unconscious in their seats, twitching and shuddering. I tore my seatbelt off and about knocked the seat out of my way to get to them. I heard others shouting in the other cars but I could really only focus on the fast gasps coming from my children.


	12. Under Celbra's Light

**When this chapter was originally published, I'd just turned 15. Woot!**

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

I snapped the closest seatbelt and Neve fell sideways onto Rame. Their shudders dwindled the moment they touched, but didn't stop completely. Someone was shouting at Esme to pull over. I think it might've been me. The next thing I knew, Carlisle was wrenching the door of the Carrier. The force of it shook the van and knocked Neve off Rame.

"What's happening?" Nessie screamed from somewhere outside.

Carlisle, for once, seemed at a loss. He could hardly check their vitals with all the shaking. I could think of only one thing to try. I moved Neve so she was touching Rame again. Their shudders slowed and my hope flared. I pulled Luna over so the three of them touched too, then Scuro and Alba.

They all lay perfectly still except for the rapid rising and falling of their chests as they gasped down the cool night air filtering in.

The world went blurry as I reached forward to touch Luna's cheek. For a moment I was terrified something else was happening, then I realized I was crying. I blinked the tears away and touched my daughter's cheek gently.

"What happened?" Alice asked.

"I…I don't know." I whispered.

"I do!" Seth blurted out.

"We'd be very happy to know about it, Seth!"

"Of _course!_" Edward murmured. "It's obvious."

"To you it is!" I snarled. _The rest of us can't read minds!_

Jacob nudged me and pointed to the sky. "Look up, Leah."

I leaned out of the car and looked up at the sky. Slowly, the clouds moved away and the world around us was illuminated in the moon's silvery light. And it wasn't just any moon.

"The full moon," Jacob murmured.

Quick as a flash, their belts were unbuckled and Carlisle and Esme had the five kids outside on the ground. I jumped out after them.

Someone gasped quietly. I looked down to see the kids staring up at the moon like it was the only thing in the world. I waved my hand over Luna's eyes and snapped a few times. She never even blinked.

"But I thought the moon didn't do anything." Nessie said softly.

Alba leaned forward onto all fours, seeming to slide out of her skin and grow as she did. One by one, the others followed suit until five werewolves stood proudly under the full moon. Each of them stared up at the moon again as if it was speaking to them.

I wasn't really in control of my own body. I, too, phased and stood with them, staring at the moon. I heard a faint whispering in my ears but couldn't make sense of it.

_We're supposed to run, _Alba whispered.

I tore my gaze away from the moon and faced the rest of our pack. I inclined my head towards the trees. _Time for a run, boys._

"She wants you two to go with them." Edward told Jacob and Seth.

Seth and Jake looked at each other for a second, then Seth shrugged and phased without bothering to undress. Jake gave Nessie a quick hug before phasing too.

I looked at Edward. _We'll be back after dawn._

He nodded once.

Scuro barked and took off. His brother and sisters streaked after him and I followed just as quickly. It was probably the most thrilling run I'd ever had. There were no thoughts. It seemed that, for once, our minds were our own. Maybe it was because I felt more wolf than I ever had before. Was this how Jacob had felt when he left us back when Bella was human?

Perhaps it was because of the power the moon seemed to have over the werewolf cubs. It _changed_ them. They seemed taller, stronger, and more agile, leaping over fallen trees and large rocks with ease. They jumped across a river as if it were just a tiny creek. Nothing in the forest was an obstacle to them, even if it came so quickly they should've collided with it. It was almost as if the moon guided them from above.

_Leah._

The rich, chocolaty voice startled me. I automatically looked up at the moon, but I saw nothing. _Of course, you idiot, _I thought. _It's just a rock in space._

The voice laughed. _I am not the moon, Leah, but one of her many daughters. Now come on, I need to speak to you._

…_Noami?_

_Leah, I do not have all night. Come here._

_What about the others?_

_They will be alright. _Noami's silky voice promised. _Celbra knows you are with me, so shall the children. Now come on. _

_Uh…who is Celbra? _I asked. Noami didn't respond. I wasn't sure where to go, so I just let my paws carry me wherever they wanted to. Miles of trees whizzed past me, my legs plowed through the snow when I came to it, and the air got thinner as the ground angled up. Was I climbing a mountain? I really couldn't tell.

The ground leveled out at one point and I found myself in a large opening. I slowed down when I felt sand and pebbles under my paws and looked out across the vast lake in front of me. The billions of stars and bright, full moon painted a beautiful picture across the calm, midnight blue water.

_Celbra comes from the names Cele, meaning goddess of the moon and Abra, meaning mother of many. _Noami said. _Celbra is our name for the moon. _

_But why don't you just call it the moon? _

_Why do people not call you she-wolf or girl? You have a name so why should not someone so important?_

I didn't notice her arrival, but suddenly there was a beautiful brown wolf beside me. Her fur still had the silver sheen to it and her green eyes glowed in the light. She smiled at me and dipped her head.

_Hello again, Leah._

_Hello. _I said timidly and backed away. Was she mad at me? _Noami…what…what happened to them in the car?_

Noami's face turned solemn and she shook her head. _It is not your fault, Leah, and_ _we are so sorry for scaring you. I should have warned you what would happen if Celbra hadn't seen them by the time she reaches the midpoint before her peak. _

_Are you saying the _moon _hurt them? _I asked.

Noami hesitated.

I snarled. _But we didn't know! _I glared up at the sky where the moon glowed innocently. _Is _that _how you take care of your _children? _By punishing them for their ignorance?_

_Leah, do not blame the moon. _Noami said gently. _For without the moon and Celbra we of the Wolf race would be nothing._

_I thought you said Celbra was the moon._

_Celbra is the spirit of the moon, technically. The moon itself is, as you thought earlier, just a rock in space. But the spirit of the moon is the very essence of it. The soul of the moon, I guess you could say. The moon is Celbra's body. She is the life source of all werewolves. Just as humans depend on the vitamins in the sunlight to survive, we need the moon's light, the carrier of Celbra's life force. Werewolves depend on the energy given at the full moon to pull us through another month. The children were not in a place to receive the energy so they went into a sort of…um…I do not know any words in your language for it. Our bodies are not designed to survive like that. Putting them together, as you did, kept the little power they had left in them in balance…and probably saved their lives._

I gasped quietly. I would have to be more careful from now on and make sure they were out in the moonlight every full moon.

_Yes, Leah, and so much more…. The time for relaxing and simple puphood has passed. They are growing up._

_They're just children, though._

_Yes, I know, but not for long. Werewolves age just as real wolves do until they are physically in their early twenties. Then they stay that way unless they wish to age, then, over time, they will. Within three years, Leah, they will be fully grown. Now is the time to begin training for them._

_Training? _I perked my ears up.

_Yes. Once you arrive in your new home, take a bit of time to settle in and learn the territory, then teach them._

_What?_

_Everything. Teach them to read and write, tell them about the world and the creatures in it; humans, animals, plants, insects, vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters…and teach them to properly hunt and fight. _

I nodded. _I'll do my best. _

_And Leah, you will not be alone. No one has ever had to train the pups alone. Look to your pack for help and the trustworthy vampires. Some of them have centuries of experience that could be useful. But for now, just enjoy the night and the lake._

I looked out over the lake. It was very…beautiful. The moon…or…_Celbra_, I guess, smiled down at her magnificent reflection in the water.

_Noami…is your name like Celbra's?_

_Pardon?_

_I mean, is it combined like the name Celbra?_

_Oh, yes it is. Most werewolf names are. Mine comes from the names Noomi, meaning beauty, and Amile, meaning industrious. I am both of those, so my mother gave me a name that tells everyone I am beautiful and I am industrious. She did not have to bother with the beauty part though, _She sniffed once and tossed her head. She looked at me again and grinned. _It's _so _obvious even without the reminder._

I laughed. _You sound so…different when you talk like that._

Noami's eyes twinkled. _I was young once, you know, like you. Young and free with only loyalty binding me to my home and pack. _

_Wow._

_Surprising? _Noami chuckled. I nodded.

_Hey, what does the name Leah mean?_

_Meadow or sunlight._ She answered automatically. She must've been expecting that.

_Figures…they don't fit me. What would my werewolf name be, do you think?_

Noami's eyes widened and she tilted her head. I remained perfectly still as she studied me. More than once, I thought her eyes were looking into the very core of my soul.

_The first name is Kemana, which means strong, and the second is Cali which means brave warrior. _

_Now those fit me. So what's the name?_

_Kemli._

…_I'm not gonna lie, that's a weird name._

Noami laughed. _To you it is. But to my pack the name Leah is strange._

_Fair point._

Noami smiled. _Just consider it a backup name when _Leah Clearwater_ is no longer available for use. _

I stared. When _it's no longer available?_

_Uh…__sorry, I mixed up the words. I meant _if _it no longer becomes available._

I sighed and looked out over the water at the moon's reflection in the water. Once again, I fought the urge to howl, but a low noise emits from my mouth anyway.

_You call that a howl?_ Noami asked. _No offence, my dear, but that was pathetic._

_I was trying _not _to howl._

_No, no, no, no, no, no…_ Noami laughed. _No, Leah, don't fight it. It's a part of every wolf, even wolf-shifters. Celbra likes to hear wolves howl, even the common ones who are just wolves and nothing more. With so many wolves dying all over, she does not get to hear as much music anymore. So sing!_

_I can't sing._

_Every wolf can sing here. _Noami said. _This is the Lake of Celbra. In times of old, werewolves from all over would come here on the nights when the moon was full and just sing. With all the music, stragglers always found the right place. I remember a few of the meetings that occurred before the Great Murder. We would sing alone, telling our own stories, or together in an old legend or fable._

_But I'm not a werewolf. _I reminded her. _Nothing special…no stories to tell._

_The fact you are the first female in your pack and you've raised five werewolf cubs proves you're special enough. Everyone has a story. Now go on. Sing._

_Uh…yeah…I'll pass._

She growled at me. _You were allowed entry to one of the most sacred places to the werewolf kind and you won't even pay some tribute?_

I flattened my ears and lowered my head a bit. _Alright…alright…um awoooooooo! _I lifted my head up and howled a bit.

Noami sighed. _Pathetic, Leah. Pathetic. You need to howl a _story!_ And it should be something strong or important. …How about you let an old pro show you how it's done. _She threw her head back and howled.

I've heard wolves howl…but nothing ever could compare to her howl.

It was her rich voice blended with the cry of her wolf…and something else. There are no words to really describe the…beautiful song she threw to the sky. Magic was laced between every note. It was happy enough to make me want to shout and sad enough to make me want to cry.

Also, between everything, there were…words, almost. I couldn't quite grasp it, like bubbles that pop when you're trying to reach them. But, I knew without a doubt… she was singing a story. I listened closely and closed my eyes. I could…see the story. Faintly at first, but becoming clearer and clearer until it was like I was there.

_A brown wolf and a white wolf running through the forest, the brown wolf's belly was heavy with pups, and the white one was bleeding from a wound on his shoulder. The brown wolf whined softly and gritted her teeth. It was almost time…_

_Her snowy mate nudged her muzzle with his and growled softly. __Their thoughts were in a different language, and yet, as clear as day. 'They are probably still following us. We have to keep moving.'_

_She shook her head and slowed to a stop. 'No…too…tired…' She lowered herself onto the ground and whined once._

_The white wolf stood over her while his icy blue eyes searched the surrounding woods intently._

_Rapid footsteps coming closer…too quick to be anything but a vampire's…and there were three of them. He snarled angrily and his claws dropped into an offensive crouch. 'Get ready!'_

'_I__ am…trying…' The she-wolf whined urgently and heaved herself to her paws._

_A pale man jumped out on one side and two pale children jumped out on the other. _I tensed. Those were vampires. Familiar vampires: Felix, Jane, and Alec of the Volturi. The ancient feud sang in my blood, urging me to run, to rip, tear, kill…

_The male tried to do just that. He got his teeth around Jane's flank before he collapsed, yowling in agony. The brown wolf slammed into Jane and sank her teeth into the little vampire-witch's leg. There was a metallic screech and it came off. The male sprang to his paws and charged at Felix. The big vampire met him head on. _

_The she-wolf staggered away from the fight and a single spasm rolled down her body. 'No…why now?'_

_Alec sent his mist at her and the white male snarled at his mate. _

'_Run! Get out of here!'_

'_No! I a__m not leaving you!'_

_The female__ skirted out of the way and the mist vanished. Alec scowled and tried again. She jumped over it._

'_You have to protect the pups!' He reared up and smacked at Felix. 'Do__ not worry about me! Go _now_!' _

_The she-wolf whined once then took off, leaving the male to fight. The female ran as long as she could before she collapsed in the dirt and more spasms rolled down her body. 'Brinre! Brinre, they__ are coming now!_

'_I__ will be right there! Just let me kill these—OW!'_

_The male howled. His mate needed him and he wasn't there. And one of the vampires had just broken his shoulder. _

_The she-wolf watched through Brinre's eyes as he tried to take a hunk out of Alec's torso. __'Run, my love, run!' One of the vamps got their arms around his neck._

_Then she couldn't see anymore. She raised her head and looked in the direction she'd come from. 'Brinre? Brinre! No!'_

I wrenched myself free of the song's spell and stared at the spirit of the brown wolf. She kept singing, completely focused on the story. _Her _story. I took a breath to calm myself then closed my eyes, letting the song fill my head again.

_She was very weak…the delivery and the fight had drained her of absolutely everything. And tonight was a full moon. The only life flowing to her from Celbra came from the gaps in the trees, branches, and leaves. It was only enough to keep her conscious._

_She nudged her six children close to her belly and kept her paws around them protectively. As weak as she was, she'd fight to protect them. She didn't even have the strength to look at them now, but she loved them dearly.__ And something was wrong with one of them. Only five noses pressed into her belly. _

_She lowered her head to the ground and stretched her neck just a bit so she was in the moonlight, absorbing the little life she could._

_She had to stay alive…she had to protect her pups…_

_Someone was coming. They were running fast towards her. The vampires! _

_No…no not vampires. The creature had four paws! She tasted the scent. A…a wolf! Was it one of her pack…or someone else?_

_She kept her head on the ground and waited. There was no point in trying to defend herself from someone who might not be a danger and drain her energy in the process.__ The she-wolf whined in agony as Celbra turned her back upon her and the clouds moved in front of the moon._

_A large wolf walked into the clearing. He was very gangly, but muscles could be seen beneath his sandy pelt. His large black eyes stared at them in horror. He looked like a werewolf, but at the same time, something about him wasn't__ quite right. Perhaps he was a half-breed…?_

_Either way, he was one of the__ Moon's Children. Would she could, she would've jumped to her feet and danced around and howled to the moon. Her babies were safe. They would survive now._

_So__, with her last bit of energy, she raised her head and forced her green eyes to meet his black ones…and fought the darkness creeping up on her. With everything left, and with a strange knowledge that all was now well, she forced the words at him and prayed that they reached him._

'_Brother…help…they…need…to…live…' _

_Then she let herself go._

And the song ended. I blinked my eyes open and stared at Noami.

_That was…_I began, but didn't finish. I had no words.

_If you try, you could do it too, you know. Any wolf can._

_So that's what happened to you? _I asked and she nodded.

_Yes. _Her green eyes were sad. _Tell them about me…and their father. Tell them Brinre died to protect us—protect them. They deserve to know._

I nodded. _When should I tell them?_

_When you think the time is right. _Noami said simply. _Now the moon is setting and I must go and you must go as well._

_But…how do I get back? Where did they go? _ I looked around wildly, suddenly very terrified. The beautiful lake didn't seem very soothing all of the sudden. This was a land I didn't belong in. Stranger territory and I was alone, pack-less.

_Relax, it i__s alright. _Noami soothed before the panic could set in and she cocked her head to one side, lifting one ear to the sky. _They are waiting for you just to the south of here. Follow your instincts. You'll find them._

_But how—hey wait! _

The wind started to blow and it carried her form away in a silvery mist that flew across the water before heading to the moon…and vanished.

I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding and looked away from the lake. Ok. Ok. _Think, Leah, think. _She said to use my instincts to find them. I did the first thing I could think of: thinking.

_Seth? Jake? Alba? Rame? Hello, anyone there?_

Faint barks and yips from a distant corner of my mind were the only response. Okay, so the mindlink was out. Fantastic. But I hadn't really expected that to work. I could picture Noami sighing and shaking her head. _Fine! _I thought angrily and stomped off in the direction I'd come from.

Within two minutes I knew I was completely lost. I wasn't even sure how to get back to the lake or if I would even be able to go back. You never knew when dealing with mystical crap. More than likely there was some mumbo jumbo around the lake keeping non-werewolves away. I kept going. It was the only thing I could do. Of course, it would have helped if I had an idea of which way to go. For all I knew, I was heading in the opposite direction of my pack.

_Follow your instincts, Leah_. I told myself. _It's just like when you're hunting. Just do what feels right._

Both halves of myself were telling me to do something. My sensible human side was telling me to just keep walking. My instinct-driven wolf side, however, told me to do what any lost wolf would do. I sighed. Both options were tempting, but the first one seemed more sensible so I just kept going. The ground slanted down again after another minute of walking but the snow never went away. No matter how far I went.

How long had I been walking? Was I even going the right way?

A chorus of howls filled the air.

My paws burst into action before my mind even comprehended the noise. I swerved to the left and bounded through the snowy forest towards the howls. I mentally slapped myself. Of course. I shouldn't have been thinking like a human. Humans weren't meant for this place, human minds weren't meant to survive here. But a _wolf _mind…

It was a pack of common wolves. They stopped howling and stared at me in horror, unsure what to make of me. Then, after a pause, they became hostile; hackles rising, lips drawing back to reveal sharp teeth, claws digging into the snow, growls erupting from every throat. Just a normal show of aggression and, hell, probably fear, too. I was twice, if not three times, the size of the largest wolf. I knew I could whoop their butts alone, but if I had a whole pack on me, even I might be in trouble.

The largest male snarled at me and took a step forward. The other wolves fanned out behind the dark gray wolf that I assumed was the Alpha, except for two wolves that stood near a small cluster of rocks. I narrowed my eyes, swerved my ears forward, and stared at the pile. Eight pairs of bright, terrified eyes were staring at me from the darkness. I looked even closer and saw who the eyes belonged to. Pups.

I turned away from the young ones and looked at the Alpha male. I could tell he was wondering whether I planned the fight or flee, if I was a threat to the pups, deciding if he should send the pack on me. I crouched down, trying to look as unthreatening as possible while my mind worked overtime, trying to remember how wolves showed submission.

Oh, right. I sighed inwardly. I rolled over showing my belly and neck, and tilted my head to watch the Alpha. He stared at me with deep yellow eyes but didn't move, didn't show any form of aggression. I rolled over and sat up, watching the Alpha curiously. He wasn't interested in that. He wanted to know if I was going to fight or flee.

So, keeping my tail low and my body close to the ground, I backed away from the pack, not stopping until I was far enough that I was sure I didn't pose a threat. Then the Alpha lifted his head and howled for a moment. I howled, too, and something about it seemed to stir something in the wolves. The entire pack began to howl, throwing songs to the moon—to Celbra. Not what I'd intended, but I guess a reasonable thank you on my part for letting me into the Lake.

In the distance, my ears registered the sound of other howling. More wolves taking up the cry. And more and more, until the whole world seemed to be howling. Then, reinforced in my mind, a familiar howl took up the cry.

_Seth! _My howl cut off and I raced in the direction his voice was coming from. Then Jacob's deep howl joined in, then Rame, Scuro, Alba, Neve, and finally Luna's very high-pitched howl filled the air, joining the music from all the wolves from miles around.

I saw Seth first. He snarled at me, baring his teeth in anger. Then there was Jacob and then the pups, who darted towards me a flurry of fur. They circled me, yipping and barking. Alba reared up and pressed her nose to my cheek. Her eyes twinkled with knowledge and… I suppressed a shiver. The moon. The moon was in her eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes were shimmering silver. Rame, Scuro, Neve, and Luna's were the same.

Jacob and Seth, however, were completely normal. And mad. Very, very mad. Jacob seemed to be trying to calm himself down, because his body was shaking like it did before we phased out of anger. _You really scared us, Leah._ He finally growled. _Why the hell did you wonder off?_

I glared. _Well, maybe if you'd actually _responded _to me—_

_Hey! _You _were the one who wouldn't talk to _us_! _Seth snapped.

_Like hell!_

_Leah, we can't hear them either. _Jacob told me, flicking his tail towards the werewolves. _We thought you were just being stubborn or something. We didn't realize you were…cut off from us._

_It must've been Noami__. _I thought angrily.

Seth titled his head. _What?_

I sighed and thought back over the conversation I'd had with Noami, skipping the details of the song, showing them the beauty of the Lake and the moon. When I was done they both stared at me blankly.

…_Leah…seriously. What are you talking about?_

…_I. Just. Told. You. _I growled.

Jacob and Seth exchanged a worried look. _Did you hear her?_

_Nope. _

_We did, Mama. _Scuro said quietly. Seth and Jacob didn't hear him. I looked between the boys and the kids and whined.

_Hey, don't worry about it, Leah. _Seth said. _We're all here now. So, let's just get back to the cars, OK?_

I nodded and lowered my head. _Alright…_ Then I thought of Noami's form vanishing into a silver mist. No gasps of shock. I thought about Celbra and my werewolf name. Nothing.

I trailed in the back of the group as we headed back to the highway. My tail drooped. I kept sending them images from the lake, thinking hard and forcing the images and thoughts at them, like I did to speak to Edward, but none of them reacted, except for the kids who seemed to enjoy the visions of their mother and the great wolf that was their father. But when I wasn't trying to break the barrier that had been erected, I was trying to process what it all meant.

Me, my pack, the Cullens, we all belonged in the paranormal half of the world. It was more complex than the human world with rankings, rivalries, and secrets. When one looked closely at it, though, it was very neat and organized—everyone was divided into a category; shape-shifters, vamps, werewolves, any other non-human beings that might exist, and half-breeds.

Scuro, Alba, Neve, Luna, and Rame belonged with their kind on the werewolf side. Seth, Jacob, and the rest of the members of La Push packs belonged on the shape-shifter side. I always belonged on the shape-shifter side, even if I didn't know it, and I thought I always would. But now I wasn't so sure.

I was getting pulled closer the werewolf side and away from the shifter side every single day now. I was getting cut off from my pack, the mindlink, and I was learning things no one besides the werewolves knew.

And what Noami had said about my name becoming unavailable. What had she meant? Is there going to be a time when I can't be Leah anymore? …Was I going to be a werewolf? No. No. Noami said before I was still a shape-shifter. And werewolf venom mutated humans like vampire venom…so it probably would kill me. Dying wasn't on the agenda any time soon. But, still, I didn't feel fully shape-shifter either. I felt more…wolfish than I ever had.

I looked at Jacob's thick-muscled body at the lead of our group, then at Rame's slightly darker one not far behind him. They looked so similar, yet so different. There was something more wolf-like about Rame…a certain quality I can't describe that Jacob just didn't have. More proof that Rame and his siblings were different than us. Or, different than my brother and Jake, at least.

I didn't speak to anyone when we got back to the Cullens. Alice gave us clothes we could change into. Several of them asked about all the howling that was gradually beginning to fade out. I stayed as a wolf with the kids until sunup when they could phase then we climbed into the Carrier. The kids curled up in their seats and were soon snoring softly.

I, however, was too disturbed to sleep. I was a shape-shifter, not a werewolf, but I was more like a werewolf now than anything it seemed. Yet, I wasn't one. Having the kids around, seeing other females able to shift like I could…it had made me feel more included. Like I wasn't a just the freak girl who became a wolf.

But I was wrong. I was still different. My family and pack were on one side of the species line and the kids were on the other side. But I was stuck in the middle. Leaving me wondering where I belonged.

Did I even belong anywhere?


	13. Council

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Fango**

Sometimes it felt like those who lived were more important than those of us who didn't get a chance to live. Take my mom, Noami, for example. She is one of the newer wolves in the pack but everyone treats her as if she was _the _Alpha and not just Alpha by name. And I learned not long after I arrived here that this pack hasn't had an Alpha since the Great Battle where many of my ancestors fought for power.

It didn't seem fair at all. Just because she was the daughter of Arlin didn't mean she got special treatment: _I_ was his _grandson_. My name is Fango Alpha, if you wanted to get technical. I was as much of an Alpha as my mother. But you didn't see heads being dipped and tails lowered when I walked by! Not even my father garnered the same respect she did. Heads would dip when he walked by, but tails stayed as they were and no one stood when he walked in.

Brinre didn't seem to mind at all, though. In fact, he teased her about it all the time. But not me.

I hadn't really let it get to me at first because I assumed it was just because I was a pup and had to earn respect. So I decided to help out in my littermate's lives as much as I could. I spent an entire night with Alba, teaching her to control her phasing; I whispered in Neve's ears, telling her to phase when she wanted that little lamp full of goop to turn on; I explained to my brothers how to phase and wouldn't leave Scuro alone until he did; and I gave Luna and Rame the final push before they phased.

Noami and Brinre congratulated me on my cleverness, but no one else took any notice. As far as they were concerned, if they were even concerned at all, my siblings had done it all themselves. Now don't get me wrong, I wasn't out to get my ego inflated but I just wanted everyone to see that I was just as capable as my mother and father. That, just because I was killed before birth, I could still be like my parents: useful.

Those who had died young had already aged like their living siblings or were frozen as pups or somewhere in between. But I continued to grow, making me less and less welcome with the pups that never changed, and the older wolves kept their distance from me like I _was _a pup.

Don't get me wrong, I had friends, but…they just…I can't explain it…

But my loyalty never wavered. I was still a member of the Pack. No amount of _jealousy_ could change that. I thought nothing would ever make my loyalty waver…until one night when the council called a meeting.

When the council calls a meeting, we all gather in large gorge. It was vast and grew each time a new wolf joined us so that there would always be a place for everyone. Ledges extended from the walls, rocks scattered around like debris, and a small platform of rock in the center for the council itself to perch.

The call went out and I felt my blood come alive in anticipation. I was awake instantly.

_Fango, come. _Noami ordered, lifting me to my paws by the scruff.

I yelped and struggled. _Mom! Come on, Mom! Put me down._

_Very well, _she said and set me down._ We must hurry. The council has called a meeting._

_No kidding. _

_We are discussing _them_, son. _Her voice was angry and it was then that I noticed how tense she was.

I darted towards the hollow, willing my legs to go faster, but I ended up trailing behind Noami, as usual. She didn't wait for me to find a spot like she usually did and stalked towards the center where the rest of the council waited. The mass of multicolored wolves parted to let my mother, ears flat and muscles rigid, pass by quickly. Brinre sat at the edge of the center and gave her ear a quick lick as she passed. She paused to press her nose into his cheek before climbing atop the platform and faced the council.

I climbed on top of a pile of rocks where a frozen-older-pup named Conlor was sitting. _May I sit? _

He nodded but didn't turn his attention away from the center, neither did anyone else. That was one of the things I liked about the werewolf mental connection—we weren't sharing thoughts. We were just speaking through them.

I scrambled onto the rock and dug my claws into the stone when Noami spoke.

_Why have you called a meeting about _my _children without discussing it with _me _first__?_ She growled.

A large brown wolf rose up and met her enraged gaze. _Because the time has come for them to leave that _half-human_ creature and live with _real _werewolves!_

_Her name is _Leah, _Harthor, and you will do well to remember it. She is no halfling and she is more wolf than some of us here! We're not as pureblooded as you would like to believe. I myself have some human blood but I still am here in this forest after death!_

I flattened my ears and grinned. Mom was getting mad.

Harthor growled. _Noami, enough! We are not here to discuss blood. We are here about the _creature _raising the werewolf children._

Our _werewolf children! _Brinre growled, stepping up beside Mom.

Harthor nodded to my dad. _Be that as it may, Brinre—_

But Dad wasn't finished. _We _died _for them! We died so they could live. They would have never existed without us! It should be our choice!_

_The decision is too great for just you to make._ A beautiful white she-wolf told them, rising to her paws. _The council has decided to let the pack decide their fate. We, however, believe they must be separated from the shape-changer and the vampires._

_They have names, Hanvella. _Noami snapped. _If you are to address the ones I owe my children's lives to in front of me then you will address them by their names! _

A deep gray wolf spoke from the crowd. _Oh but from the way I hear it, lovely daughter of Arlin, you have given her another name. If I understood Celbra right, you called her Kemli._

_You gave a half-breed a _werewolf _name? _Gyra, a light silver council member, roared.

_She did! _

An angry swarm of yowls met his words. I flinched at all the rage that was being shot at my mother, the council, and the old sage.

One voice rose over the rest. _She has no right to have a name from our heritage! _It was a midnight black she-wolf. Green eyes that were flashing dangerously and fur bristling; she jumped atop one of the ledges. A dusky brown wolf backed away to give her room. _That girl is not a werewolf! She is a mere human given the power to shape-shift. Celbra does not speak to her, the moon is nothing to her, and when she dies she will go with the humans! She has no place here!_

_Ebonet, you are blinded by prejudice! _My friend, Leka, said. _You only despise the pack_**,**_ Leah and the pups are in because of their alliance with the vampires. You were killed by vampires that hated werewolves. That coven is protecting them and has never killed a werewolf._

_Leah has taken on a responsibility that no other has done in the history of the world! She deserves the honor of a name! _I couldn't see who had shouted but the voice seemed familiar.

_She nearly let them die! _A she-wolf screeched angrily.

_She did not know!_

_We cannot blame her!_

_They lived, so what does it matter?_

_ENOUGH! _Harthor howled and the pack fell silent. I lashed my tail angrily.

_You are more like an Alpha everyday. _Someone nearby growled softly. _Remember your place, Harthor. We have no leaders._

The words spread through the legion until everyone was shouting angrily at him. Harthor raised his tail for silence…and everyone fell silent, like obedient subordinates. I huffed once angrily.

_The fact _Leah_…_ He paused and took a breath as if saying her name was an effort. _The fact that Leah has been given a werewolf name means nothing. She does not use it and she is not a werewolf. …Another reason why she should _not _have the pups!_

_She is still a wolf!_ Noami snarled.

_But they are _vampires, _Noami! _A steel-gray wolf spat. _Vampires are bloodthirsty vermin; they cannot be trusted._

_Shut up! Shut up all of you! _Everyone fell silent as a melodic voice rang out. A petite made her way towards the center. I knew her name: Kalli. She was one of the few that had died _just _before adulthood and had not aged anymore…and was relatively new to the pack compared to some others. Her strange red-blonde fur and reddish-brown eyes made her seem otherworldly almost, and very pretty. And she was very kind too. She and I would spend time together sometimes because we were both different from others.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm my racing heart when she climbed up there and faced the crowd. Her eyes found me for a second and we both smiled nervously.

Kalli swallowed once then spoke. _I am a mutt and I am not afraid to deny it. My father, Luca, is, as you know, pure werewolf. My mother, Brianna, however was not. I never speak of her to you because she would not be accepted. But my mother was half-human and half-vampire!_

Everyone who hadn't known made some kind of noise. There were snarls, howls, gasps, barks, and shouts. A few wolves moved towards her, only to be blocked by a group of her friends who snarled and swiped threateningly.

I almost jumped down to join them. Almost.

Conlor was on his paws, fur bristled. _Can you believe it? _He asked me. _I thought she was just normal half-breed._

I glared. _I knew and I don not care. Neither should you._

_SILENCE! _Harthor howled again.

Everyone waited.

_Kalli, you're revelation has shocked us all and has successfully distracted us from the main topic tonight—_

_Shut your mind, Harthor! _Kalli spat at his feet and turned back to the pack. _I have vampire blood but I have never betrayed anyone. My mother told me stories of the golden-eyed covens and their kindness to humans. Not all vampires are like the Volturi coven; evil, merciless, and cruel. My very existence proves this. My mother was half vampire and she ended up falling with my pure werewolf father. They created me out of nothing less than love. How can something that is a mindless monster love unless they are more than just?_

She paused, letting the words sink in. _ Leah has raised the children to respect all the species and to stay true to their human instincts as well as their wolf ones. What more could any werewolf mother do? I trust Jacob, Seth, Leah, and the Cullen coven with the kids. Their loyalties and bonds are strong. I have watched them often enough to see the genuine love they feel for Alba, Neve, Scuro, Rame, and Luna. And Leah…she loves them as if they were her own. And her pack would die for them! I see no reason why the pups have to be removed from her care. That is my decision. Who agrees with me?_

A chorus of howls filled the air. I threw my head back and joined in as loudly as I could. But, of course, there were so many who didn't agree. They growled and barked angrily at Kalli and her father. One rather large white wolf was in Luca's face, lips drawn back and teeth bared. Luca snarled at him and scratched his muzzle.

A few wolves darted between them before a fight could break out.

The rest of the pack was on their paws, shouting things at the council, Killa, and each other.

_Silence!_

This time the cry rang out from my mother. When I saw her standing proud and tall on a large rock near the center, I felt a strange tingling sense, the _desire _to obey. I wanted to obey her. My mouth was still open, but no sound came, as if her words had struck me silent.

_This foolish bickering is pointless! _She shouted. _They are _my _children and _I will _decide what happens to them. I trust Leah and the others to raise them well. They will continue to live as they are and we will_ not_ meddle! End of story._

_No, Noami, it is not. _Gyra said then he faced the crowd. _These children not only have the power to create both kinds of werewolves, but are the key to our survival. They cannot fulfill their purpose by being raised away from their kind. Who will they mate with? Humans? And what will become of their children if they are raised in the human world? They _must _be removed from Leah's care if the werewolf race is to survive. Or every single one of you that was killed by vampires…_He turned slowly so he could see each face. _You all will have been slaughtered for nothing._

_Are we going to let our brothers and sisters be killed like we were? _An elegant silver-and-black wolf shouted from a ledge near the top of a hollow. _Mothers and fathers, are we going to allow our children to be slaughtered just so Noami and Brinre's sons and daughters can live with leeches and shifters?_

_No, _screamed another wolf.

_Should we risk one of the last chances we have left?_ I knew the wolf that shouted this time. Yarhn had watched his entire pack be slaughtered as a pup and then was killed by the Fire Bringer herself several years later. _I do not know about you, but I, for one, am _not _going to bet all our hope for survival on a young woman without practically any knowledge about us! Are any of you?_

I watched in dismay as more wolves shouted things that riled the pack, striking something deep inside them all, until more than half of them were shouting at my parents, demanding that they agree with the council.

_No! _Noami shouted. _I promised Leah that—_

_Noami, if they're around these vampires other vampires will find them then they all will die. _An elderly wolf, Hok, that I respected, rose to his paws. _Would you put such a fate on so much innocence?_

_No! _Harthor shouted. _They must be separated from the shape-shifters and vampires! Who agrees?_

Almost everyone shouted his or her approval so my cry of _NOO _was unheard.

_Then it is settled._ Greley, a pale council she-wolf, said._ I'm sorry, Brinre and Noami, but the decision is unanimous._

_When the opportunity presents itself, the Children Scuro, Rame, Neve, Luna, and Alba will be removed from the care of the Quileute shape-shifters and golden-eyed vampires and placed where they rightfully belong. _Harthor announced. _The Northern Pack—_Nadja_!_

_But what if they don't survive? _Noami wailed. _It is a dangerous journey!_

_They will be fine._

_You could kill them! _Brinre shouted.

_They will be fine! _Harthor snapped. _And if not, they'll have proved they weren't strong enough to survive! Only the strong can survive now! _

_But you just said that they had to be protected!_ Noami spat. _How is letting them wander around in the wilderness protecting them?_

I snarled in agreement and jumped down from the rock and sprinted towards Harthor, claws outstretched. I leapt at him and bowled him over. Before he had a chance to strike, I sank my teeth into his throat and clawed at his shoulders. _They are my brothers and sisters! You will not do this to them!_

He shoved me off and slashed my muzzle. I yelped in pain and, somewhere behind me, my mother cried out. I ignored her and darted at him, managing to get under his belly and rake my claws along his legs. He twisted around and fixed his teeth into my scruff and tossed me away. I whimpered when I hit a rock and looked up at him.

He advanced on me, teeth bared in a snarl. _You little brat! I do not care whose son you are, but you will _not _interfere with this. You _will_ stay out of their dreams and out of the mortal world! _

I scrambled to my feet and spat at him. _You are not my Alpha. I will never obey you. _

_No, but the council is in charge of the pack. Does the council agree with me?_

All nine of the other council members nodded. Then, to my horror, so did Noami. Her face was pained, but her voice was undeniably clear. _Do as they say, Fango._

My eyes widened and I stared at her. She stared back for a moment, then bowed her head and wouldn't meet my gaze. I looked up at Harthor who looked very smug and I bared my teeth.

_You heard your mother. _He chastised.

Something inside of me stirred. I would not let them do this. I would not let _him_ have the last word in this. So I squared my shoulders and glared right into his eyes. _Kiss. My. Furry. Little. Ass. _I told Harthor then I turned and bounded to the edge of the hollow and scrambled up the side.

I could feel the hundreds of eyes watching me as I left.

**Leah**

"We're here! We're here! Mama, wake up! We're here!" Luna squealed and shook me awake.

I groaned and rubbed my eyes. Luna shook me again. "Mama, come on, get up! You gotta see this place!"

I sighed and looked out the window. My mouth fell open as I stared up at the biggest house I'd ever seen.

* * *

**So...I imagine many of yous are like "WTF MOON?" XD well I'm not tellin.**

**'Kiss my furry little ass.' Best line yet.  
**


	14. Random Fun

**The following was written the day after I had surgery and was born of boredom while under the power of Vicodin, morphine, and various other medicines. **

**I left it up in the edited version of this story cause A) I LOVE IT :D and B) It'd mess up the chapters if I took it down  
**

* * *

Alba: Hello!

Luna: Hiya!

Neve: Hey!

Scuro: Hi!

Rame: What's up?

Luna: Ok, so everyone knows that Moon's not typing our story right now because she had surgery on her hand. I feel bad for her. I wouldn't be able to be one handed like that—

Rame: You wouldn't have to be, stupid! You'd heal!

Luna: Don't call me stupid, _stupid!_

Rame: Don't call _me _stupid, jerk!

Luna: Dummy!

Neve: Oh no… *sigh*

Rame: Moron!

Scuro: *groans* There they go again…

Luna: Meanie!

Rame: Mud-brain!

Alba: ALRIGHT! ENOUGH! DON'T MAKE ME WHOOP BOTH YOUR BUTTS.

Luna and Rame: o_o Yes ma'am.

Scuro and Neve: *snickers*

Alba: Thank you.

Me: *yawns* What's with all the yelling?

All: o_o

Neve: *whispers* Uh oh! We woke her up!

Alba: *whispers* Ruuuun!

All: *runs*

Me: Hey! I see you guys. Get back here right now before I go get Leah.

All: *walk back*

Rame: Uh…*heh heh* Hi…M-Moon. How ya doin?

Me: I _was_ sleeping until someone yelling?

Luna: It was Alba!

Alba: … -_- Thanks.

Me: *sigh* Who was fighting?

Alba: Luna and Rame!

Luna and Rame: Thanks. -_-

Alba: ^_^

Me: *sigh* Well, now that you've woken me up *yawns* we might as well talk while I wait for my medicine to kick in again.

Neve: Ooh! Ooh! Why don't give them a preview of the next chapter?

Me: Um…alright. Who wants to tell?

Scuro: OOH! OOH! ME!

Neve: Pick me! Pick me!

Luna: No me!

Alba: I wanna! Please!

Rame: MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Me: O_o Uh…um… Fango!

All: Fango?

Fango: Yes!

All: o_o

Neve: When did you get here?

Fango: An excellent question!

Neve: *sigh*

Scuro: Translation: No idea.

Fango: Shut up!

Me: Hey. No fighting! Fango, get on with it.

Fango: Ok…so, basically, the vamps, shifters, and these five settle into the new house—pick rooms and stuff like that. Meanwhile in the "dead wolf world", I devise a plan to—

Me: Alright! That's _quite enough_, Fango. You can't give everything away—

Luna: OH MY GOSH! IT'S A CHOCOBO! *squee*

The rest of us: …

Me: *blinks* What is a chocobo doing here?

Luna: I don't care! *runs after the chocobo*

Me: …Alright. Who let her play Final Fantasy?

Rame: Emmett.

Me: Hmm….at least there aren't any—

Alba: A MOOGLE! *runs after the Moogle*

Moogle: Oh no! Kupo!

Me: …Me and my big mouth.

Neve: Hmm…yeah I'm gonna go after that Moogle. *runs after them*

Rame, Scuro, Fango: …

Me: XD Well done, Emmett.

Fango: Well…um…if no one needs me for anything else…I'm gonna go home… *walks away*

Me: *holds up a kitty*

Rame and Scuro: CAT!

Rame: *growls* Lunch time!

Me: *flicks Rame's nose* No. This is my kitty, Layla.

Layla: Mrow?

Me: She's chubby, cuddly, loving, adorable, and a tabby. YOU SHALL NOT HURT HER! *fire eyes*

Rame: o.o OK…OK!

Layla: Mew… *looks at the strange boys and buries her face in my arm*

Me: *glares* You're scaring her! *Puts Layla down* Run along, I'll catch off.

Layla: *runs like crazy*

Rame: -_- She taunts me.

Scuro: Haha.

*in the distance* KUPO!

Me: Uh oh…I think someone should go save the Moogle…

Rame: I'm on it! *runs off*

Me: …

Scuro: …

Me: …

Scuro: …So…read any good books lately?

Me: Um…no…not really. Haven't had time to read. Why?

Scuro: No reason…

Me: …

Scuro: …

Me: …

Scuro: *sigh*

Me: *hums jeopardy theme*

Nessie: Well this is boring. Bye! *skips away*

Me: Wtf? O_o

Scuro: Where did she come from?

…

Alba: But I wanted the moogle!

Neve: It's so cute!

Luna: And the chocobo is so adorable…

Rame: Yeah, but Moon has cake!

All: CAKE!

Me: Um…*eats the rest of the cake* What are you talking about?

Luna: Meanie.

Me: ^-^

Laurent: *walks over* My, my, my…what interesting children you have here.

Me: O_O HOLY SHITZ WTF! YOU'RE DEAD!

Laurent: I am?

Me: …

Rame: Yo, Moon, who is this guy?

Me: An evil vampire who tried to kill Bella and who fought Sam, Uncle Jake, Uncle Embry, Paul, and Jared. And his mate almost got Leah and the wolves and all the Cullens killed.

Laurent: All in the past…

All: …

Luna: GET HIM! *phases*

The other four: *phases*

Scuro: *howls and charges*

Me: *smirks and watches the five kids kick Laurent's butt*

Leah: *walks over and stares*

Me: Oh, sup Leah?

Leah: Are…those…my…kids…?

Me: Yep.

Leah: Are they fighting a vampire?

Me: Yep.

Leah: …

Me: *sits down and does my therapy exercises*

Leah: …

Layla: *walks over and curls up beside me*

Mia: *pads over and curls up in my lap*

Both: *purr*

Leah: …

Me: Is something wrong, Leah?

Leah: …I. Hate. You.

Me: ^-^

Alba: Hi, Mama.

Luna: That was fun!

Rame: We kicked his butt!

Scuro (near the fire): Burn, baby, burn!

Alba: *shakes head*

Leah: Did you have fun, kids?

All: *nods*

Leah: That's wonderful. Now would you like to see me kick butt?

All: YEAH!

Leah: Ok. *phases*

Layla and Mia: *flee*

Leah: *growls at me*

Me: O_O Uh…oh…

Leah: grr….

Me: ! *runs away*

Leah: *chases*

Me: *phases into a ginger-and-white wolf* and runs

Kids: …

Alba: She's a werewolf?

Luna: ^_^ Yep. I bit her!

Neve: …Wow.

Scuro: Did she _ask _you to?

Luna: Yep.

Scuro: Ok then.

Alba: *yawns* I'm tired. I'm gonna go to—

Luna: OMG! I SEE THE CHOCOBO! *runs*

Rame: *sigh* Here we go again…


	15. Wooden Paws

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

I've seen mansions in magazines, but I've never actually been close to one, aside from the mansion in Forks.

The house before me was a mansion. There had to be at least three floors with probably ten rooms on each one of them, plus possibly the basement and something out at the back of the house. The exterior was designed to resemble a log cabin, I think.

All six kids ran towards the house, laughing (howling in Rame's case) with glee. Seth followed them, laughing and whooping, like the fifteen-year-old boy he really was. Esme couldn't get up there quickly enough and unlock the door.

I hung back just a bit with Jacob who was sauntering on like the most carefree person in the world. Such a contrast to how he used to be.

A quick sniff of the air told me we were the only humanoids for miles around. The kids could finally run around for miles in broad daylight without fear. Alaska may have been huge, but there were more people in Canada and in the main states. Any possible unfriendlies who came around here would just be passing through. And thanks to Alaskan wolves' large size, the werechildren could blend right in.

For the time being, anyway. But, I told myself, by the time they're too big to pass as normal wolves; they'll be excellent fighters able to take on a normal-sized coven and win.

"Mama! Mama, come on!" Alba's head poked out from the second floor. "You gotta see this place!"

"Leah, Jacob, can I talk to you two for a quick second?"

"Sure thing." Jacob said.

Carlisle took a piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. I leaned forward and examined it. It was a layout of the house. Damn…I'd been right. There were a good fifty rooms in there.

"Jesus Christ, Carlisle, who'd you guys kill to get this place?"

"A former governor of Alaska," Carlisle said seriously and I glanced up at him. "I'm kidding." He assured me. "It was built fairly recently by a rich young businessman, but with the economy going the way it is, he had to sell. We gave him two thousand extra for him to give us the keys and deed in Seattle instead of meeting us here today."

"Well, as long as nobody died." I said.

Carlisle smiled. "Alright, we figured since the house is significantly larger than the last, we would give you guys an entire floor to yourselves that my family won't enter unless we need to. You can either have the entire basement or the third floor."

I examined both floors carefully.

The third floor was very plain with enough rooms for all of us to have our own room with some left over plus a bathroom. The basement seemed more like a house within itself. There was a den, a room with an island in the center, two full bathrooms, and more than enough bedrooms, two of which had walk-in closets. Plus, on the other side of the West wall, there was a large room labeled "pool."

I looked up at Jacob and found him waiting for my decision. Carlisle didn't seem surprised when we both said "The basement."

Emmett was a little disappointed; he had hoped to make the basement a "recreation" area. Rosalie quietly told him it was better this way because the "dog stench" would be at the bottom of the house and we wouldn't be running around over their heads. I decided to ignore her for a while after that.

When I got into the house the kids were running all around. Doors were opening and closing on the floors above and footsteps thudded through the house. I decided to let them have their fun for a few minutes and examine our area of the house. …_If_ I could find it.

Seth, Jacob, and I must've spent ten minutes opening almost every door to find the one that led to the basement. We were disappointed when the one Seth found only lead to the pool. I finally found the right one near the kitchen. How convenient.

There were ten steps then we were in a wide room with two hallways leading out of it and one other room in the back. I went down the one on the right side and explored the rooms there. Three of them were small, but big enough to be decent sized bedrooms. My room was the biggest one, obviously, with the walk-in closet I was sure Alice would have _no_ problem filling. The bathroom, thank God, had a shower, bath, two toilet stalls, and two sinks. That would be enough.

It was almost identical on the other side.

"OK, so we all have to share this place, right?" Seth checked.

"Yes," I said.

"Should we make one side for the pups and one side for us?"

I considered that for a second. I didn't really want to split the kids up like that just yet and I doubted they wanted to be either. But, within two years they would hit puberty…. Plus, it wouldn't feel right to be far from them just yet. If they needed us, I wanted to be right there.

"I think…we should make one side for boys and one side for girls." I finally said. "That way we can defend them easier and we won't have to explain why they'll need their own space when they start puberty."

"Hmm…good idea." Jacob said, almost grimly.

"Seth, go round them up, will you?"

My little brother nodded and scampered up the stairs leaving Jacob and I alone. I couldn't resist. I cracked a grin. "So, what are you going to do when Nessie hits puberty, hmm?"

"I'd…rather…not…think…about that right now…" He muttered uncomfortably.

"Good answer, Jacob." Bella said from the top of the stairs.

I laughed and the brunette vampire walked down the stairs to examine the basement. "Looks like you'll all have enough here. Oh Leah, did you consider putting a lock on the door that leads to the pool?"

"Erm…why?"

Bella smiled, almost patronizingly. "So the kids can't just go in unsupervised. You don't want them to drown, do you?"

Her tone made me want to tear her arm off and hide it so she'd spend the next five hours looking for it. Like I was an unfit mother or something. Last night was _not my fault. _But, instead of attacking, I gritted my teeth and said, "Good idea."

"Happy to help." _Happy to have a chance to scold me is more like it._

She turned and walked upstairs just before the kids could come thundering down the stairs eagerly. I wiped the scowl off my face quickly.

"Welcome to the wolf floor." Seth announced.

"Now don't go running off just yet!" I said before they could disperse.

"Come on, Mom!" Rame whined.

"No, just listen for a second." I knelt down so I was eye to eye with them. "In the next year or so, you all we be going through many changes than you think. I'll explain them when the time is right, but I've decided it would just be easier for you all to separate now."

An outburst followed my words as each kid voiced their complaints, questioning me. I already made them leave their home, why was I splitting them up?

"Hush," I soothed. "You're not going anywhere. I meant, you aren't going to be sharing the same room anymore. You'll each have your own separate room and the boys will be on one side and the girls on the other."

"Oh." Alba said quietly.

"Why do the _girls_ get to sleep close to you?" Rame frowned.

"Hey!"

"Because I'm a girl too." I said. "You and Scuro get your uncles, though."

"Yeah, we get to do guy stuff." Seth said. "Unless you want to hang out with the girls and do _girly _stuff like tea parties and play barbies like _Lee-Lee _used to."

I jumped him and got him ina headlock. "Take it back, runt."

He laughed. "Nope!"

"Take it back!"

"Never!"

I tightened my grip just a bit.

"Ugnmph! Leah! Get off me!" He said angrily.

I laughed. "Take it back, Sethy!"

"Leah, give it a rest." Jacob said, but he didn't _order_ it.

"Nope!"

"Alright, alright!" Seth cried when I loosened my grip so he could breathe. "I didn't mean it! Get off me!"

Laughing, I released him and stood back.

I went to check on the girls to find them locked in a scuffle over the biggest room. "It's _my _room."

"Why do you get the biggest room?" Luna complained. "It's not fair."

"I've raised you three from the night of your birth and spent most of that time as a wolf and keeping you out of trouble. Plus, I'm the oldest. I get the biggest room. End of story. The other rooms are big enough for you. If you want to argue, you can sleep outside."

I didn't mean that, but they believed me and the only debate after that was who would get the room closest to me. I finally had to give it to Luna and explained that she would be safer close to me because she was so small and had yet to master her phasings. Alba agreed and that was the end of it.

There had been a similar argument on the boy's side between all of them. Alba marched over with an Alpha's dignity and told her brothers to shut up and shoved them in two of the smaller rooms then dragged Seth out and put him in the biggest of the small rooms. "You're only getting the biggest room 'cause you're the Alpha." She warned Jake and marched away.

"Wow…" Seth laughed. "Guess we know who the next Alpha is!"

When we got back upstairs they already had half the truck unloaded. Esme told us not to worry about helping with their stuff and she had Emmett and Jasper start carrying our few items downstairs.

"What about beds?" I asked.

"Well, for tonight, you'll all have to make do with pillows and sheets." She said. "Tomorrow Emmett, Jasper, and I will be taking all of you up to Fairbanks to pick out beds and furniture before we have to take the truck back."

I smiled. "Thank you, Esme."

"Oh, here, one thing…" She darted over to a box that Alice was unpacking and pulled out a wooden box. "This is for you," She said as she came back and handed it to me. "I had them made before we left Forks."

I opened the lid and took out one of the contents. It was a wooden wolf paw with _Scuro _etched into the center and small, intricate designs around the edges. The others had and patterns etched into them. The largest one at the bottom was blank. No patterns, no words, nothing fancy…just a word.

"That one goes on the basement door so you'll know which one is yours. Like…a territory marker, I guess you could say. We're also going to put other carvings on the doors so it doesn't look suspicious. So if something should happen…the door won't grab much attention.

I smiled warmly. "Thank you, Esme. You really care about them, don't you?"

She patted my head fondly and I frowned, slightly annoyed. "Of course I do, silly. Call me Grandma Esme."

"But…they're werewolves. Actual werewolves. You're mortal enemies!"

"Their ancestors may have done wrong things, but the only thing those children have done is be children. They're as innocent as Renesmee."

My perspective of that vampire changed right then and there. Now I finally understood what Carlisle meant when explained Esme's power was to "love passionately." She was able to see past the near-tangible boundaries between all creatures and love all those she cared about equally.

Having nothing more to say, Esme turned and went back to unpacking.

I grabbed a hammer and some stick-on hangers from a pile of stuff and went back to the basement wrapped up in my own thoughts.

The children were excited when they saw Esme's present. I helped them hang their name paws on their doors then put my own paw up. I was biased, yeah, but I thought mine looked the best. Larger than the kids, but smaller than the main one, mine had simple lines curling and bending around the edges with _Leah _written beautifully in the center.

I let the kids argue about whose was prettier as I hung Jake and Seth's up for them so they could continue unpacking with Emmett's help. I went back up stairs and hung the final paw on the basement door and put my hand on top of it, curling my fingers so it they fit onto the carving, then traced the word in the middle with my finger.

_Wolf. _The wolves' territory—we were safe in our territory.

That night, I helped the girls get changed into their pajamas.

Alba's pajamas were light blue and had little suns peeking over clouds, like at dawn, plus a pair of fluffy blue socks she _had _to have. Luna's were pinkish purple and had silver moons on it. Neve had a silky pink nightgown and cotton pants under it.

When I tucked the kids into their makeshift beds, I was a little nervous, leaving them alone like that. _Calm down, Leah. _I told myself. _They'll be fine. You're right down the hall if anything happens and the vampires are wide awake up stairs. They won't let anything happen. _

Repeating that over and over in my head, I made my way to the bathroom to take a shower. I had to turn it as hot as it could go before I felt any heat, thanks to my damn internal furnace. The hot water felt good on my sore muscles and relaxed me. I must've spent a good thirty minutes in the water and it never cooled once. Dimly, I made a note to thank one of the vampires for making sure there was plenty of hot water here. I dried off and changed into a t-shirt and old pants then combed my hair out. It was longer now, several inches past my shoulders.

For a minute, I considered cutting it, then decided against it. Why bother? It would grow again in no time and, I seemed to recall Luna liking to hide under my hair when she felt scared.

I pressed my palms to my hair and within minutes the heat had dried my many ebony tresses.

This would be my first proper sleep as a human since the night before I got the werechildren. For some reason, this worried me. I liked being connected to them on that subconscious level as we slept. I put the stuff away and headed for my bedroom. I left my door ajar and settled down on the old couch cushions and pulled the quilt made for me before we left. I breathed him the musky scents of La Push, mixed with the scent of Mom, Emily, Claire, Kim, and Kayla on the blanket, and the scent of my pack on the cushions and pillows. I was asleep within minutes.

Sometime later, I was awoken by a small hand on my cheek. I jolted awake and found myself face to face with a pair of big green eyes. I let out a growl until I recognized the small face in front of me. I looked over her head and saw another set of vibrant green eyes, two pairs of gray ones, and one pair of blue ones.

"Are you alright?" I mumbled, sleepiness beginning to overcome me once more.

The only reply was a long, soft, pup-like whimper from one of them. I sighed fondly and scooted over. The five of them piled onto the makeshift bed and curled up on both sides of me.

I was almost asleep when Alba's voice penetrated the silence.

"Mama?"

"Yes, Alba?"

She sat up and her brothers and sisters were looking at her anxiously.

"You…you told us that we aren't the same. That we're werewolves and you're a shape-shifter. You have legends about how you're ancestors became shape-shifters, Jacob said so, but…what about werewolves. Where do _we _come from?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry." I apologized.

"Noami never told you?"

I shook my head. "No. I don't even know where she comes from. I'd tell you if I knew, I promise, but I don't know. I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Neve said.

"Why did you ask?"

"During the full moon, we felt really…" Scuro trailed off and frowned.

"We belong here, Mama." Alba said. "We know that now."

"Go to sleep." I sighed again and with that, I closed my eyes and drifted back to sleep.

Where I dreamt.


	16. In the Forest

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

At first it was a simple dream. I was running through the forest as a wolf with the wind in my fur and paws so fast that they barely touched the ground. When I woke up, I was alone in my room. And that was when everything changed.

I climbed out of bed and called out tentatively, "Kids?"

No response.

I checked every inch of their bedrooms—under every sheet and pillow; in the farthest closet corners—in the den, the bathrooms, and the hallway closets, growing more and more frantic with each place. Nothing. No one. Not even Seth. I couldn't hear the vampires upstairs either. No noise. No scents. No one.

Breathing quickly, I ran for the top of the stairs. Maybe they were outside, or maybe this was some sick joke. I threw the door open and found myself faced with a forest instead of the inside of a house.

I looked behind me and saw the basement dissolve into nothing, leaving an empty black space except for the top step. Then the blackness faded, replaced by a forest. It was just me, a doorway, and a step. Out of options, I walked out of the door and felt the knob dissolve under my hand as I closed the door. Then it and the step, melted away into nothingness. I was trapped in the forest.

It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Every type of forest tree surrounded me—maple, elm, oak, pine, spruce—all covered with a magical, light layer of snow. There was a bubbling stream nearby that seemed to sing with all the voices of nature. I heard a squirrel's chirp, a caribou's call, a cat's meow, the song of a bird, the wind in the trees, and the howl of a wolf along with many other animals in the water's song.

I took a breath and tasted the air. Each scent was unique and life surrounded me like a warm blanket in the frigid air and I sighed contently. At the time, I hadn't found it at all strange that there were no other creatures in there but me. I felt light and happy, all feelings of fear gone. Somewhere not too far, I heard children laughing. I thought I recognized two of them.

"Rame!" I shouted and ran towards the sounds. "Luna!"

But, as I got closer to the place they'd come from, the quieter they became, as if they were running from me.

I found a clearing with signs of children; leaves bent, sticks cracked, and foot prints everywhere. As I studied them, I noticed they seemed to move, turning towards one in the very center. Slowly, it changed shape until it was no longer a foot imprint from a child, but a wolf. It deepened and from an invisible source on the bottom, a strange red liquid flowed out from the dirt and filled the paw.

It was thick and ominous looking. Flowing more rapidly, it spilt out from the paw and flowed across the forest floor. I was dimly aware of whispering around me. My name, other names, warnings of evil, whispers…my name…

My eyes were focused on the liquid that was now lapping at my feet. It was… blood.

Someone screamed. I think it might've been me.

I ran from the clearing and kept going, even when the land had changed from a "magical" forest of fairytales to an ominous wood cloaked in mist.

_Leah!_

I knew that voice. But, how? Did that mean I was still asleep?

"Fango?" I slowed down and looked around for the werewolf pup.

_Leah! Run!_

"Fango?"

_Get off me!_ I heard him snarl to someone else.

I ran towards them. "Hold on, I'm coming!"

_No! Run away!_

I could see him in a ditch ahead, struggling with a light silver wolf three times his size. Two wolves, one black and the other silver and black sat a few feet away, watching with obvious enjoyment.

_No!_ Fango shouted, trying to pull free from the wolf that had him pinned. _No, Leah! Run!_

The black wolf looked up and leered at me. _No, Leah, come here. Do not listen to this miserable wretch. I am a good wolf._

_No! Run Leah!_ Fango howled. The multicolored wolf joined the silver wolf that was having trouble containing him.

I stopped a few meters from the group. The black wolf was still beckoning me closer while Fango told me to flee. I knew the latter and trusted him. I took a step away from them.

_Keep going! Run, Leah! Protect them! They are going to kill them!_

"Who is?" I asked, wide-eyed.

Fango grunted with effort and managed to get free from the wolf's grasp.

_GET THEM!_

My first thought was that the swarm of smaller wolves that were pouring into the gully was coming for me, but they completely avoided me and went for the three large wolves.

_Gyra, you have gone too far!_ A smooth-voiced wolf was shouting.

_Jheci, hold him! _

_Conlor, help Yhasi and Teryal with Ebonet! _

_Leka, Fango, Hamma, get Kecil! Look out! She is getting away!_

Then a pretty wolf detached herself from the mass. Her fur was the strangest shade of red…almost like strawberry blonde. I'd never seen such a thing before. And her eyes were brown with a nice hint of crimson.

_Come, Leah, we have to hurry. _She said.

I frowned. "Who are you?"

_I am Kalli. _

_They are coming!_ One of the wolves shouted.

In the distance, there was a battle cry and dozens of older wolves streaked towards the gully.

_Leah! They will never let you leave if they find out you know! You must shift your form! Do it now!_

_Leah, go!_ Fango shouted. _Protect my brothers and sisters!_

"From who?" I shouted.

_I'll explain as we run! _Kalli said._ Please, Leah, we must go now! _

The black she-wolf raised her head and screamed at whoever was coming. _She is here! The shape-shifter is here!_

_Ebonet!_ Fango snarled and slashed her muzzle.

_Shift, Leah Clearwater!_ Kalli barked, baring her teeth.

It was hard. It was unreasonably hard. But somehow I managed to grab onto the wolf inside me and switch forms. Panting from the effort, it took me a moment to feel strong enough to run, and then Kalli took off and together we were flying through the forest as if we had wings.

_Why did that hurt?_ I ask.

_In this place we never shift forms. _Kalli said. _We have no need. Faster, Leah, we need to hurry._

And she accelerated to a speed I had never known possible, leaving me, the fastest of our pack, trailing yards behind. After a moment, she noticed me struggling to keep up, and she slowed a considerable amount. Strange eyes, strange fur, melodic voice, super speeds…

_What…are…you?_ I asked slowly.

_I am a human, werewolf, and vampire hybrid. _She explained._ My mother is half-vampire-half-human and my father is a werewolf._

_Ok…_ And I'd thought Renesmee was weird. _What is going on here? Why were those wolves hurting Fango? Is this a war? Oh, and by the way, where the _hell_ am I?_

_There is not time to tell you everything, Leah. But you need to know that the Pack of werewolf spirits, the pack all dead werewolves join, have decided the children can no longer live with you. Now, some of us, like Fango, myself, and the wolves I came with, do not see why you cannot keep them and the different views have created a civil war—something that has never happened. The three who were with Fango were trying to get to the Gate of the Living to reach you and the pups. We have been protecting you and the Gate and we will continue to do so, but we do not expect to hold them forever. If the Pack was made of ten wolves, only four are on our side. _

_No…no, don't fight a war over us. I'll…_ I swallowed back the choking feeling. _I'll give them up. I'll take them wherever they have to go._

_But that is just it, Leah. You can't take them. They will have to go alone. We…we do not think they will all survive. Luna, for one, would not have a chance. She is too small to handle it, even with her brothers and sisters to help her. But, some on the other side think that their deaths on the journey would be proof they were not worthy to survive in this wolf-eat-wolf world. _

…_Ok fuck that. _I said. _You guys fight this war! …T__hey're just kids. Not even a year old._

_That is why most of the younger wolves and mothers are on our side. We do not want to watch pups join us. It did not take long to persuade many of the she-wolves who had been mothers to join our side once we put them in your shoes. Do not worry, Leah, we will not let your children be taken._

_What about Noami?_ I asked quietly. _What does she think?_

Her silence told me more than her words could have.

The forest passed by in a blur and the wind that whipped at my face felt eerily warm. It almost scared me. The peaceful afterlife-forest Noami and Fango had painted in my head seemed too good to be true now. It was just like Earth.

I growled. _So. Noami is on the other side then?_

…_Yes. She is the reason there is another side to this. She told Fango to obey the council and stay away from you, the Gate, and to not interfere. He, of course, disobeyed. _

_And Brinre?_

_He is on that side too. _

_How could they…_ I whisper, feeling betrayed. From the way Noami talked by the Lake, all had been forgiven. Something must have happened after she left to change her mind.

_That is what we want to know too. After all,_ Kalli said. _She had just taken you to the Lake. _

_That's what doesn't make sense. Noami always seemed to support me._

_She _was_ supporting you, until the meeting two nights ago. We do not know why she suddenly changed her mind. But, I promise you, Leah, you will not lose them. _

_What can I do to help you?_ I asked.

_You are alive. You cannot fight in the battles here, even when you are asleep and your spirit is free-roaming._

_I meant with the kids._

_Warn them. _She said grimly._ Tell them to let you know of anyone who speaks to them in their dreams no matter what. If it is not me or Fango, or someone not sent by us, they are to not listen to them. If we are a friend, we will say saypa, meaning peace, to them when we arrive. If we do not, then they are to run from them in the dream. Do not listen. _

_Alright._

_Also, do not let them alone at night. If the vampires go hunting, someone must always be awake at night. If someone from our realm tries to whisk them away, anyone with ears will hear. And, whatever you do, do not let them go North alone._

_Why?_

_That is where a pack of werewolves lives._

_What? _My eyes bugged out of my head. _Is that where they want the kids to go?_

_Yes. But, as I said, they will not live to find it. But if they go that direction, someone might be tempted to…give them a little push._

Ahead of us, there was an archway in the middle of the clearing. The inside of it was very bright, yet it did not cast a glow on anything around it.

_Can you see a light inside? _

_Yes._

_Good. Now, go Leah, quickly. We may have been followed._

_What about you?_

_What can hurt me, Leah? I am dead. I will be fine. Just…just go. Quickly!_

_Wait! Where do I go once I'm in there? Where will I come out?_ I asked, but she was already bounding back the way we'd come.

Bah!

_Good luck,_ I murmured then turned and faced the arch.

The light was warm and welcoming…but the forest had been that way too, at first. I didn't know if I should trust it.

_Go, Leah!_ Kalli shouted in the distance._ Go! Run! _

_Stay right there, you mongrel-blood!_

I was afraid to look, but I glanced back and saw a giant brown wolf bounding towards me with Kalli in fierce pursuit.

_Leave her alone, Harthor!_ Kalli snarled and leapt at the wolf. _GO LEAH!_

I had no choice. I ran into the light.

* * *

**Kalli **

She was safe. I had done it.

I grinned up at Harthor who had me pinned. _You are too late! She knows everything._

He snarled angrily and smacked my muzzle with his paw.

Snarling with rage, a brown shape burst out of the bushes and rammed into the tyrant and pushed him off me. I sprang to my paws and smiled. Fango, and two white wolves—Leka and Seriya—were giving Harthor a lesson he would not forget anytime soon. They did not appear to need any help so I lifted my paw to inspect my sore pads. A few licks later, they were feeling a little better.

Fango snarled at Harthor as he ran off with Leka and Seriya in hot pursuit.

I stood up, making sure my fur was smooth, and flicked my tail. _Thank you, Fango, but I had everything under control._

He snorted, but his tail wagged happily. _Sure you did, Kalli. Sure you did. You are welcome, by the way._

I smiled.

_So, what happened?_ He asked as we headed back to the camp we'd set up for those against the council's decision.

_I explained as much as a could. She was very mad about Noami. _

_I should hope so!_

_Yeah, well, I also told her how to protect them from her end. _

_Did you tell her how to get through the gate?_

I froze and gawked at him. _I…did know I was supposed to._

He stared at me in horror._ You…didn't…tell…her…how…to…_

…_I thought she knew how! _I barked.

_Kalli!_ He cried. _She has only been here in dreams! Her body rooted her to Earth then! She was _awake_ this time!_

_I thought she knew how, though! It is not my fault!_ I wailed.

_Oh spirits…no… _He whispered.

We both looked back at the dark Gate in the distance. Everything was still.

* * *

**Seth**

Jacob and I were in the kitchen munching on some of Edward's cinnamon rolls. I figured the smell would wake up Leah and the pups soon.

Bella ran through the room towards the basement door, threw it open, and jumped down.

Jacob swallowed his bite. "Where's the fire, Bells?"

But as the words left his mouth, from the basement a terrified cry rang out.

"MAMA!"


	17. The First Children

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Seth**

"Mama's gone!" Neve wailed. "She got up last night and never came back!"

I couldn't believe it. How had Leah gotten out without at least one vampire noticing? There weren't any ways out of the house she could reach without alerting one of the Cullen's uncannily sharp senses.

"Something's wrong!" Neve went on. "Mama was taken, I know it! Someone took her!"

But how could someone get in the house without alerting the Cullens? There was no explanation. She was just…gone.

Rame looked furious, rudely demanding over and over if anyone had seen her go. Scuro was sniffing around the doors of the basement with Jasper for any sign of a trail. Neve was sitting in Esme's lap, wailing like a terrified toddler. Jacob, Rosalie, and Emmett were searching all the rooms in the house. Renesmee was dealing with Luna who was huddled in a corner, looking at the vampires as if she was afraid one of them was responsible and would suddenly pounce. Carlisle was trying to calm them all down. Bella was with Edward who was standing outside somewhere, trying to at least catch a trace of Leah's mind somewhere nearby. And me, well, I was watching Alba.

She alone seemed calm, or at least close to it. Her eyes were clouded as she stared at Leah's bed. She was so still that I would have thought she was asleep, had she not been standing up.

"Bella found something!" Carlisle announced suddenly and everyone was sprinting outside, top speed, to where Bella was crouched in the snow.

What I saw nearly made me sick.

Footprints, obviously Leah's, were heading from the back door and into the forest. Each, however, was filled with what could only be blood. Blood that the vampires hadn't detected until now.

"Oh, God, Leah…what happened?" I whispered.

* * *

**Leah**

I opened my eyes and blinked once. Twice. The light did not go away. It was endless. The whole world was made of bright light. There was no top, no bottom, yet the ground was solid under my feet.

I looked down and examined myself. I was human again. I must've phased when I jumped through. I was wearing what felt like an animal skin shirt and over that was a poncho made of more animal skin, by the feel of it. On my legs were very warm pants made from the same material and I had moccasins on my feet. I reached behind my head and found my hair was braided and went down to my waist. Around my neck was a clay amulet on a beaded necklace. On the clay, was a wolf print.

"I look like my ancestors." I muttered. Yeesh.

"I think you look quite nice."

_Who said that?_ I looked around sharply.

A girl just a few years younger than me was walking towards me from the light with a black wolf right beside her. For a second, I was amazed at how similar, yet different, they appeared. The wolf was lean and yet muscular like the girl, and they both had coal black eyes, swirled with brown in the pupil. Her face was more circular than an oval, but not fine enough to be heart-shaped. She had many locks of hair that matched the wolf's mysterious black pelt and her teeth were white and shiny and her canines were sharp-tipped like a wolf's, but they weren't fangs.

She wore a skin dress like my own with beaded patterns around the hems and almost identical moccasins. A feather was nestled in the right side of her hair near her ear. The wolf had a leather collar around his neck with several trinkets dangling from it, and a feather behind his left ear.

Ancient and mysterious, the two spirits or whatever they were, moved through the near blinding light towards me.

"Hello, Leah Clearwater." She said. Her voice was light, but rich with wisdom and beauty to match her face. "My name is Amari and this is Allo."

Allo dipped his head politely.

"Um…hello…" I said nervously. "Who are you?"

She smiled. "We are the guardians of this place between life and death. We were the first werewolves."

My eyes widened and I took a step back.

"Do not be afraid," Allo said. He actually_ spoke, _moving his mouth and everything. His voice, in contrast to hers, was deep and firm.

"We are just here to help you through." Amari said before I could remember.

"Help me through?"

Amari laughed fondly. "Dear child, did you honestly think it would be easy for someone to travel between worlds?"

"Well, they never seemed to have trouble with it." I admitted.

"Because they are dead. You, however, are alive, and this is a delicate process." Allo said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Sadly, it must also be rushed. If you stay too long you will be forever trapped here, like us."

Pity stirred in my belly. "You're prisoners?"

"By our own choice." Amari explained. "We wanted to guide all our descendants includingones we share no blood with to what we created for them beyond." She extended one slender arm and pointed one finger in the direction I must've come from. There was no real way to tell in the endless light.

"I'm sorry for what I've done to it." I apologized without thinking.

She blinked. "What have you done, child?"

_Child? _She had to be sixteen and she was calling _me _a child.

"I…uh…"

"If you are referring to the petty feud going on right now—"

I nodded.

"—then we are well aware of this and plan to end it soon."

I brightened. "Really?"

She nodded, but her face had gone oddly smooth and blank.

"Thank you."

Allo smiled. It was a _real _smile. His lips curved up in a way they shouldn't have been able to. "Think nothing of it. Now," he cleared his throat, "I do believe it is time to get you out of here. I am sure the realm is becoming visible now. Am I correct?"

I looked around. "Hey**,** now that you mention it…" It _was _getting clearer. I was beginning to see the outlines of trees and bushes. Now I could see I was not walking in midair, but on soft grass. "I can see grass."

"Hmm." Allo sounded almost worried. "Well, then there is no time to lose. Hurry!"

He turned around and bounded into the light that was gradually dimming, revealing a new world.

I thought it would be hard to run in this ancient attire, but I found it was much easier than modern clothes. Less restricting. The moccasins also helped me jump higher because they didn't weigh my feet down.

"Why do you run, Leah?" Amari asked.

I looked at her and was a tad surprised to see her head was higher. I looked at her feet, though they were moving, to see they weren't touching _anything!_ Neither were Allo's.

"You're flying!"

"Yes." Amari said as if it were natural. Maybe it was. "You can too."

"Me? I don't think so."

She shrugged. "One day, when you are not so bound by your molded mind, you will soar."

"My 'molded mind?' What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You're a grownup." She said, then went on. "Children try to fly because no one has explained gravity to them. Shape-shifters shift because no one has told them they are not who they are. People love because no one has explained the _risks_. You're mind is molded into thinking things as you grow. One day, you will break free."

"OK…um…." What do you say to that? "So, um, where do you come from? A tribe?"

She seemed to understand the subject was uncomfortable for me, so she dropped it and welcomed the new one with a confused expression.

"Werewolves have no tribes, only packs."

"But you had to come from somewhere. You were not just born a werewolf. You had a family. What tribe were they in?"

"Oh!" Amari smiled and sighed. "My tribe no longer exists and we had no name that translates into this tongue. However, when my tribe was forced to join other peoples, one group what is now the Inuit tribe. This was many eons ago, though, and their legends do not remember this. It is a shame, really, that so many people in this world must share my blood and have werewolf ancestry so distant that it does not show."

"Maybe it does." I said.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, our legends tell us how we became shape-shifters, but there are flaws in it. Perhaps the wolf that Taha Aki merged with was not a normal wolf. What if he was a werewolf?"

Her smile was proud, yet still mysterious and prompting me further.

"Or…at least half a werewolf." I added. "Because, if the wolf was that large and beautiful, then it _had _to be a werewolf, or have werewolf blood…yeah…. How else would it have been able to share its body with the chief had it not had a mind greater than a common animal's…?"

"Yes, but what about the part where your ancient chief phased?"

I stared at her as we ran. "You know our legends?"

She nodded. "I know the legends. Now, do answer the question."

"Alright…hmm." I thought about it for a moment. I focused on the world that was becoming more and more defined around me. "Perhaps…the spirit or soul in the wolf decided to let him have the body?"

Amari sighed, neither happy nor disappointed. "You are almost correct, Leah. Yes, your ancient chief did merge with a wolf that was more than ordinary. Sadly, that wolf was not as werewolf as you'd think. His great, great grandmother had been a common wolf that was bitten accidentally by a werewolf. The magic lived in the young wolf, but was dormant because it needed a human soul to work. Taha Aki, without his body, was nothing but soul. By entering the wolf, the soul and body merged. Your chief gained control of both bodies, thanks to his soul, while the wolf's spirit retreated to his subconscious to be the instincts he would need to survive. This is how it has been for all wolf-shifters in your tribe for as long as you have existed. For the other wolf shape-shifters, something similar happened too. And for every other kind, I do not know. I do not pay attention to them."

"So…why am I the first girl to phase in my tribe?"

"You are not." Amari sighed. "Two girls phased centuries before you. But, they were overcome with fear beyond your comprehension. One killed herself and the other fled, abandoning her tribe and pack, thus removing her from the mindlink and no one ever knew."

"But, why so few?"

"Your word for it is genetics. My word is fate." She didn't speak to me for a while after that. Sometime later, Allo ordered me to climb on his back so we could go faster, as the world was getting too clear for my own good.

"How did you become werewolves?" I asked, overcome by curiosity.

Amari sighed wistfully. "Please do no laugh, Leah, or scorn us, but I was strange girl. I was always at peace around the wolves and, well, without meaning to, I fell in love with Allo."

I stared. "But he's a wolf!"

"Your point?" Allo asked, slightly offended.

"Oh, I didn't mean—"

"I know, I know. But she was very nice. And pretty."

Amari blushed. "Well, the shaman in my tribe, Lete, found out and well…he was curious. He asked the spirits to allow us to be together. And the Moon spirit, Celbra, granted his wish. She gave us both the ability to change into the other's form for two years. Though we both preferred our original ones, we would change shape to run together. No one ever knew, except Lete, and we enjoyed our two years, learning more and more about each other and our worlds more than we ever had. When my grandmother and mother began beleaguering us about marriage, Celbra announced our time was up. We had to choose.

"But, we could not decide! I did not want him to give up his proud wolf heritage and he did not want to pull me from the world I 'belonged in.'" She patted his shoulder fondly. "We pleaded to Celbra and begged she let us stay as we were, able to be both, and she granted it to us, but at a price. We had to be wolves on the full moon, no matter what, and replenish our abilities to change shape. If we did not, we would lose our abilities and be frozen in our original forms. Secondly, we had to live away from those we could infect with our third burden: the venom, which we were permitted to use to defend ourselves only. However, we did not count on that creating other werewolves. Fourth, we would have to refer to ourselves as Children of the Moon. Werewolf and Lycan are just names for our species that man created. Fifth, we were to defend the human kind from the species known as 'blood drinkers,' or vampires. Sixth—"

"Jeez, she doesn't ask for much, does she?" I muttered sarcastically.

Amari giggled once. "Well, the sixth condition was that we would never age. Human and other bloodlines have led to the option-aging you see today in werewolves. The seventh and final term was that we would live here when we died and guide our people to the land we created in our dreams for them to live. We agreed and now here we are."

"What about your children?"

Amari sighed. "Well, when I discovered I was going to have a child, I consulted Celbra. I wanted to know how it was possible, since I had not had the bleeding since becoming a werewolf. She said '_That is a human thing. You are not human. You do not need it.'_ When I asked what the child would be, she told me they would be just as we were. Neither one nor the other, but a splendid combination of both."

I pressed my lips together and looked ahead.

"Leah, it is the same for you."

I snapped my head around to face her. "_What?_"

"You can have children, Leah. You do not need those human things to allow you the ability to have a son or daughter. You are _more _than a human, are you not?"

"B-but…but I thought I…." I stuttered until she silenced me by putting her hand over my mouth.

"Listen, Leah, and I will explain…"

I woke up on the forest floor. I looked around, blinking until the world came into view. I knew right away I was back. This forest was pretty, but not mystical or beautiful like the spirit worlds. I sighed and rested my head back in the cool, Alaskan snow. For once, my skin didn't melt it.

My head hurt and my stomach was hollow with hunger. It felt like I hadn't eaten in months. I took deep breaths of the clean air, before slowly sitting up. I was shocked to find I was not only still clad in the beautiful, tribal clothing, but I was under a warm blanket.

I only remembered Amari carrying me to the edge of their realm before I'd blacked out. Why, though, I couldn't remember. She must've left this for me.

I looked around the forest. It didn't take more than a few seconds for me to decide, "I'm lost."

Perfect.

I looked at the sky. "Thanks for the blanket Amari, Allo, but perhaps a _map_ next time?"

I sighed and stood up, taking the blanket too and wrapping it around me like a towel. I couldn't stop a yelp when I felt my hair pressed against my back. It was still braided, and long.

"What happened to me?" I breathed.

No one answered, of course.

I sighed and started to walk towards what I hoped was a way out. I didn't feel like phasing and ruining this outfit, even though it would be wise, considering my pack might be searching for me. However, I was fresh out of some alternate form of reality. I really didn't want to know what the effect would be on anyone in the mindlink, so I kept human.

_No, Leah, wrong way…_

I froze.

_Saypa,_ _Leah, you're going the wrong way._

Kalli.

"Where do I go then?" I asked.

_The puffin._

Puffin?

_Puffin._

There was a cry behind me. I spun around. To my shock, s beautiful black and white bird was perched on a low tree branch not far off. Oh. A puffin. But puffins were not native to this part of Alaska. It's curved beak parted in another cry then it flapped its wings and took off. I ran after it without hesitation. Swerving to avoid obstacles, the seabird guided me through the forest towards what I hoped was home.

My heart was drumming in my chest and the forest blurred past me. I wanted to phase, but I didn't. Somehow, I resisted the call that would've normally lured me into my wolf form.

In the distance, I heard a cry. "Mama!"

I sighed in relief and almost cried. Luna.

"Mama!"

"Leah!"

"Mama, mama!"

"She's alright! Emmett, Jasper, she's coming!"

"Seth, come on!"

The puffin was gone now, but I didn't need help anymore. I knew where I was going. I ran faster than before, spreading my arms so the blanket fanned out behind me like wings. For half a second, it felt like my feet left the ground.

_You will soar…_

Was I?

No. I wasn't. I could feel the hard ground beneath my soft moccasins and I sighed. If only. I pushed my way out of the trees and was faced with a stampede of kids. But, each of them stopped before they could get to me and stared.

"Leah?" Seth asked in a half-strangled voice. "What _happened _to you?"

"Government types." Eli said. "We killed them, though. And Logan's been a pain since he got home. Someone needs to kick him."


	18. Revelations

****** I made a video...kinda for this story. its on youtube . com /watch?v=yDCDK5D92Kc without the spaces :D**

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

"You're purdy, Mama." Luna assured me over and over while she and the other kids examined my animal-skin clothing. Alba had her nose in the blanket and was breathing in all the scents on it. Rame and Scuro were admiring the necklace on my neck and Neve seemed particularly interested in the strings that were entwined in my hair. Renesmee was running her hands along the poncho.

Everyone else, however, was beyond mad. Their looks ranged from anger to fury. Apparently there'd been quite an ordeal this morning when they woke up and found me gone without a trace.

"Leah, what _exactly_happened?" Carlisle asked. "How did you get out?"

"I don't know." I repeated for the tenth time.

"Leah!" Seth complained.

"Shut up, Seth!" I snapped. "I _don't know! _I woke up and I was in my room. I couldn't find anyone so I ran upstairs and found myself…"

"Found yourself where?" Jasper's voice penetrated the silence.

"Elsewhere."

His eyes narrowed suspiciously and a strange, warm feeling washed over me.

Why was I being stubborn and holding back? Why was I lying…? I could trust them. They'd believe me… It's not like they'd judge me for—

"Jasper!" I snapped out of it and my body starting vibrating with anger. "Don't do that!"

I jumped up, dumping the kids onto the floor and couch, and stormed out of the house into the crisp snow.

"Leah!"

Seth had followed me.

"Leah, Leah! Don't run off again!"

I slowed down and looked at him over my shoulder. He looked terrified. Suddenly, I understood how all of this must have been for him. Dad was dead, Mom was thousands of miles away—I was the only one he had up here. And I kept getting pulled away from him into the mystical world of werewolves. He was afraid that one day I'd vanish and I wouldn't come back. And dammit that wasn't happening. Seth may have been a little twerp, but he was still my brother. If they pulled me into their world then, dammit, they had to take him, too.

Not Jacob, though. No…no, not Jacob. He was too bonded to the vampires, to Renesmee, and I couldn't—wouldn't—let him be pulled away from her. She was his future. He belonged there. Fate had made it clear where he belonged and that wasn't with the Werepeople. Seth and I, however, hadn't imprinted. Perhaps there was a reason for that.

I turned my head and gave Seth a quick look before running into the trees. I heard him following just behind. I smirked and plowed on through the snow. I had to lead him far from everyone so no one else would hear. I ignored his complaints, only looking over my shoulder every so often to let him know to keep running.

When we reached the far edge of the woods, I knew we'd gone far enough. Seth caught up with me and looked around.

"What are we doing, Leah? Where are we?" He asked, then added in a childish whimper, "I want to go home."

"We will, Seth." I promised. "But, I had to make sure we wouldn't be overheard."

Seth straightened up and arched his eyebrows. "I'm listening."

I took a deep breath of air. No one was here but us and a few hiding rabbits. I sat down and heard the snow hiss as it began to melt. Seth sat down too, scowling the entire time.

"Alright, Leah, talk." He demanded. "What's going on?"

So I told him. Everything. I told him the many visions I'd seen, the night by the lake with Noami, my dreams, about Fango, the Forest and the war going on, Allo and Amari, and what Kalli had told me. He was silent almost the entire time. I was afraid he wouldn't believe me, but there was never a hint of doubt in his intent black eyes.

When I had no more to say, I folded my hands in my lap and sighed. He didn't speak to me for several minutes. I could practically hear his mind working. Finally, he took a deep breath and very slowly let it out.

"If I had known what bringing those pups to you would've done…"

I stiffened.

He must've seen my face so he smiled reassuringly. "I still would've done it. This is why you became the first female wolf in our tribe who lasted long enough to become a member of the pack. You're supposed to do this Leah!"

I smiled.

He grinned slyly. "And Leah, just think, if you'd stayed with Sam—"

"Shut up, Seth." I covered his mouth with my hand. "I don't want to hear it."

He laughed and I lowered my hand.

"What about Jacob?" He asked me a few minutes later.

I shook my head. "No, not Jake, he is_ not_going to find out about this."

"He'll hear our thoughts." He reminded me grimly.

I shook my head again, feeling sort of smug. "You remember how you guys couldn't hear my thoughts about the werewolves before, or the kids thoughts until they let you?"

He nodded.

"I think…that this secret cannot be learned; only shared." I tried to explain. "Now that you've been told the secret, you can learn more. Now, if they try to pull me over to the werewolf's side, then they'll have to take you too, and you're more rooted to the vampires than I am. You'll be what ties me here. I don't want to be pulled into that world. I'm a Quileute, not a Daughter of the Moon, and I belong here."

Seth looked sympathetic, and a little scared. "But, what if they don't accept me, or don't want me involved."

I frowned, thinking, then I removed the amulet from around my neck and slid it over his head. He stared down at it for a second, then fingered the imprinted paw.

"There's a reason you haven't imprinted, Seth." I said. "If it's my destiny to help save the werewolves, then maybe it's your destiny to keep me where I belong during that. We raise the kids until they're ready…then…well…I'm not sure. We'll figure that out when the time comes. But, until then, you and I will be keeping each other where we belong."

"But, Leah…, how do you know if we belong _here_?" Seth asked. "How do you know we don't belong somewhere else?"

* * *

**Seboa, the Shaman**

"How much longer?"

I look up at the sky, lit by my Mother and the colorful pelts of the dancing spirits. The stars twinkle above us, mysterious, and foretelling. All too soon, the great stars of Taqqiq and Siqiniq will be aligned with Celbra once more. She will hide the sun and a battle will rage. Our fates will be decided.

"Not long." I whisper, feeling the tingle of excitement run through my ancient body.

Softly, with anticipation, "And what of the Prophecies?"

My lips twitch into a smile. She said I could not tell, not until I was asked. Oh, how I have waited to be asked. I have wanted to rejoice. After long last, Celbra has said that my granddaughter's words are coming to pass.

"They are alive. The Warrior and Dreamer live."


	19. Time Flies

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

Time goes by. Even when you don't want it to, it passes.

I wanted them to stay young forever, but they weren't meant to. By Labor Day, they were up to my waist in wolf form and looked six years old as humans. Bella and I now had something else in common. Our babies were growing up too fast. Renesmee looked around eight years old now.

At the end of September, we taught the werechildren to swim. It didn't take long at all. They took to the water as easily as a vampire could. Rame was particularly good at doing flips out of the water and Neve could hold her breath the longest. We still had to keep the pool doors locked, though. Even though they could swim, I didn't want them in there without someone watching them.

Seth, Jacob, Edward, Bella and I went down to Washington for Halloween so the kids could experience Halloween for the first time.

After much debate between Jacob, Billy, Carlisle, Sam, and the elders, Edward and Bella were granted permission to come into La Push, as long as Jacob, Seth, and I never left their sides. That solution was okay with everyone. Sue and Charlie were thrilled.

Costumes were…amusing, to say the least. I decided to wear the clothing Allo and Amari had given me. It would amuse a lot of people down in La Push. Edward and Bella decided to go as "traditional" vampires with long cloaks and medieval outfits. The only thing they couldn't do was wear fake fangs because the venom in their mouths would melt them and, as Emmett had said, 'it would suck.' Pun fully intended.

Jacob and Seth decided to be cute and dressed as members of Sam's cult. In other words, ripped shorts and shirtless. From what I'd heard over the phone, Embry, Quil, Paul, and Jared were doing that too. Daniel, Rea, and Lily were out of town with their parents, sadly. They would've loved the costumes the kids had come up with.

Alice and Bella had worked overnight to make Renesmee's costume. An old set of footie pajamas with fake fur sewn on over them—a tail outline was cut, sewn together, stuffed with cotton, then sewn to the back of the pajamas—and Esme had conjured up an old mask from somewhere amongst their possessions. It was cute to watch her prancing around the house looking like a wolf.

Neve and Alba had raided Alice's closet when the vamps had been hunting. Alice was horrified when she saw half of her "collection" had been pulled out of place or was missing. But when she saw her pretty white dress and a silk shawl being turned into a snow fairy costume for Neve, all was forgiven.

Luna had decided to be polite and ask if anyone had any ideas. She ended up with Rosalie helping her make a black cat costume. Carlisle got recruited not long after to help sew together paw-gloves.

Emmett, Edward, and Jasper got Rame and Scuro their costumes easily. They were Tod and Copper from the _Fox and the Hound_, their favorite movie. Rame looked simply adorable with a pair of brown socks fastened over his ears that flopped whenever he moved his head. Scuro liked to shake the furry tail around, but was easily frustrated with the darn thing because it wouldn't move like his real one.

Alba had the hardest time with her costume. She and Seth finally decided to be traditional and she donned a shirt of Emmett's that had the neck hole sewed up and eyeholes cut in. It was so big on her that half a foot had to be cut off at the end so she wouldn't trip.

In La Push, we were greeted by Sam and his pack, Sue and Charlie, Billy, and Emily.

Right away, I noticed Emily was different. Her belly was no longer bulging out like an overly inflated balloon, she was thinner and she had a strange sash over her chest. When I peered inside the sash, I saw two copper-skinned babies. I hugged her awkwardly so I wouldn't squish the infants, and kissed her cheek. "I wish I could've been here."

Emily smiled. "Sue was."

"So, what are their names?"

"The girl is Tala and the boy is…Harry."

I pressed my lips together and a tear ran down my cheek. "Harry." I whispered.

"Your dad was a great man. He shouldn't have died like he did."

I shuddered suddenlyand the tears flowed freely. I'd caused Dad to have his heart attack. He and mom had tag-teamed against me about my mood swings that had gotten horrible in the days before my first phasing. I ended up transforming right there in the living room. Seth, did, too, but Dad had been so shocked by my transformation that he'd had a massive heart attack.

"Leah, don't…" Emily pleaded gently. "Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make you cry!"

I hugged her again. "Thank you." I whispered.

Alba and Luna decided to come see why I was crying then. "Are you alright, Mama?" Luna asked.

I nodded and wiped my eyes.

Alba turned to Emily. "Are your kids still in your stomach?"

"No," Emily smiled and pattered the sash. Alba's eyes widened. Emily knelt down and all the werewolf kids crowded around to look. They all went eerily still when both infants opened their eyes and stared at them. For a moment, their eyes were filled with more knowledge than possible for babies, then it vanished and the girl giggled.

"They will both be wolves." Luna declared. "She will be black like Sam and he will be pale brown."

"Special wolves," Scuro added quietly.

No one knew what to say.

Later, we paraded around the rez so the kids could experience Halloween for the first time—except for Renesmee (this was her second)—and caused many of my old friends to laugh.

"Who are they, Leah?" A girl named Beatrice asked. We'd been in the same class since kindergarten. She was more feminine than I was and very down to earth. Oh how she would flip if she could see the real me…

"They're the Cullens new foster children." I said. It was the story we'd cooked up.

"Oh, yeah, you live with them now. Why?" Beatrice asked. "I thought you, like…didn't like them. I heard you say it a few times to Seth."

"Things changed." I said.

"But, why live with them? Isn't Alaska, like, really cold?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, but Alaska is pretty freakin' amazing, and it's beautiful. Besides, I gotta stick with Seth, you know. And we've gotta stick with Jacob."

"Girl is something goin' on with you two?" she asked, wagging her eyebrows.

"No."

Less than a month later, we were sitting at a large table that Esme had picked out just for this. Charlie, Sue, Emily, Tala, Harry, and Sam and his pack had come up for Thanksgiving. Bella, Esme, Rosalie, Edward, and Emmett worked for hours on a meal that they couldn't eat, just so the kids and our guestscould have a good Thanksgiving.

Just to be cute, Emmett had actually gone out _somewhere _and got some turkey blood for his family. Well…to each their own. If that was gonna be the vamps Thanksgiving feast then…well bon appetite!

I explained the story of Thanksgiving to the mystified kids as they munched on turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, stuffing, baked potatoes, pie, and all the other Thanksgiving delicacies the vampire chef extraordinaires had made. I didn't know they were able to fit so much food in their mouths. Scuro looked like a chipmunk with his cheeks full of food.

The vampires sat at the other end of the table so the smell of the blood wouldn't bug us too much. Carlisle told everyone stories about living in the time of the first Thanksgiving and what coming to America was like for him. Alice, armed with a digital camera, attacked us all with relentless flashes as she took careful records of the holiday, as she'd done on Halloween and did at Christmas time.

Six pairs of awed eyes watched the Cullens unpacking old decorations and bringing in the new ones, turning the cozy cabin into a Christmas wonderland. Renesmee was given the job of explaining Santa Claus to the werewolf kids. We had to take them to the mall in Fairbanks later that day to meet him. At the mall, the sight of the portly guy in a Santa outfit left all the kids frozen. The old man stared and they stared back. Finally Rame's eyes zeroed in on a bit of brown hair showing from underneath the wig and he wrinkled his nose. "That's not Santa!" he announced loud enough for everyone around to hear. "He's an imposter!"

We had to get out of there quick. We finally settled on writing letters to "the real" Santa.

The next day, Emmett and Jasper went out tree hunting and after a little pleading on their part; Alba and Scuro were permitted to go with them. As long as they didn't run off, that is. They were in the forest about an hour, searching relentlessly for the perfect tree. They came back carrying a grand evergreen that had to way a ton. Emmett and Jasper were carrying it and Alba and Scuro pranced along beside them, tails wagging eagerly.

We spent the next two hours, throwing tinsel, lights, and ornaments galore atop the tree in the middle of the living room, across from the fireplace. Renesmee, holding the star, crouched down at the base of the tree, and jumped up to the top and put it up there, before falling back down into her mother's arms.

Esme turned the overhead lights off and Seth plugged the cord into the wall. Everything was illuminated by the glow of dozens of lights that reflected of the tinsel and ornaments, casting beams of light every which way. The skin of the vampires and werewolves seemed to glow. It was magical.

On Christmas Eve, all the kids planned to stay up waiting for Santa. Cookies had been made, milk poured, and carrots laid out for the deer.

"You _have _to leave!" Luna told the Cullens. "Santa won't come if you're all here wide awake!"

They did leave, just to appease them, of course.

I hadn't believed in ol' St. Nick for years, but that night, I woke up and went up stairs to swipe the one of the leftover cookies. But, I swear on my loyalty to the pack that as I stumbled past the living room, I saw someone bending over the tree. When my brain registered the intruder, I went back to look.

But no one was there.

Hey, now I'm not saying I believe in the old guy again, but something funny happened…

In the morning, however, everyone was up at the crack of dawn and how the gifts got there wasn't on my mind. Every face was lit up with joy as paper flew and gifts were unwrapped and toys, books, games, clothes, jewelry, and other things were revealed. Stockings were emptied onto the floor and various items from bubble gum to oranges tumbled out.

Esme, Bella, Edward, and I made a big Christmas dinner that the pack and I would enjoy while the Cullens went hunting.

The kids had never been happier.

New Years Eve was just as exciting. We stayed up till the early hours of the morning, having our own party and firing off fireworks. Ever seen fireworks in Alaska? Freakin' amazing. The lights from the explosions made the sparkling snow shimmer and gleam with the innumerable colors that hit them. The "big-boomers", as Scuro dubbed them, were everyone's favorite.

When January came, we started to teach them. It was the first ever werewolf school and the instructors were shape-shifters and vampires. How ironic.

Bella and Renesmee taught them how to read. Jasper and Edward taught them history. Esme taught them domestic skills, medicine, and other things parents taught children. (I know that should be _my _job, but she convinced me that it would be better for her to do it because she had experience.) Carlisle taught them about the creatures in the world, as Noami had suggested months before. Alice taught math, Rosalie taught science, and Emmett helped Jake, Seth, and I teach them to fight, track, and hunt properly. Basically, they were being taught everything they'd need to pass as humans and survive as wolves.

They soaked it all up like sponges. I remembered Renesmee had learned very quickly too, so I wasn't _that _worried.

Each of them enjoyed one subject in particular. Luna loved reading and always had her nose in a book when she could. Neve enjoyed Esme's class because she turned out to be a whiz in the kitchen. Scuro, to everyone's surprise, was best at math, and Rame took to Science like a fish to water. Everyone enjoyed the fighting and hunting lessons, and Carlisle talking about other creatures in the world. Alba was the best in history, listening intently as Jasper told what memories he still had of life in the 1800's and the Civil War, or when Edward explained how things were in the early 1900s. Which somehow lead to ballroom dancing lessons one day with him and Bella…

Oh well. I had no problem with it, and it was just too darn _cute _watching Neve try to teach Seth what they'd learned. Whenever he flashed me the 'Help me!' look, I'd just smile and go about my business. …Hey, just because we're each other's anchors doesn't mean I have to help him with everything.

Yeah, at the end of December, Seth had a dream. Not just any dream, though. He phased and showed it to me in his mind.

It had been Kalli and a young wolf I did not know, whispering something about _Taqqiq _and _Siqiniq._ He'd been hoping I knew who they meant, but I had no freaking idea either.

He'd been having other dreams since then. Each one had something about those two strangers, plus other things. He was getting very freaked, and by the time the kid's first birthday had come and gone—great party, planned by Alice, of course—he was afraid to go to sleep.

We finally agreed to phase and sleep next to each other. I was sure to keep my paw on him when he fell asleep. The next morning, he'd happily reported his dream had been a memory from before we were able to be wolves. I'd had no werewolf dreams either. But, I refused to let him use me as protection again.

He kept having the dreams and I had dreams from them less often. But, however, whenever I had dreams, I actually was able to interact with the wolves or whoever it was speaking to me. From the way Seth described it, he was almost cut off from them. I couldn't help but wonder why.

Valentine's Day was…fun.

The vampires went off on their own to have privatetime, leaving Jake, Seth, and I with all six youngsters. We tried to explain to them what Valentine's Day was, but they didn't seem to understand it was meant for romantic couples. But, we decided there was no harm in them celebrating Valentine's Day like human children did in school. That kept them all busy throughout the day, between outside romping and meals, anyway. Scraps of paper littered the floor as they cut, glued, crafted, and designed valentines for everyone.

I told them to slide the cards under the appropriate doors then come back down to the den where the big flat screen was. We made an entire box of popcorn and brought out five two-liters, plus some valentine's candy boxes Bella bought for Jacob. I found this a little odd, but Edward didn't have a problem with it, and they were best friends… Well, I got to eat some of it so I didn't care.

We put in _Hotel for Dogs. _By the time it was over, they were all ready to sleep. I brought out sleeping bags and Jacob and Seth set up a makeshift tent with large blankets over the table and chairs. I put the sleeping bags and pillows inside. I helped them change into pajamas then they crawled inside.

The boys retreated to their rooms, but I brought out the largest sleeping bag and curled up between the tent and the door. Maybe it was maternal instinct, or maybe it was my connection to the Forest that made me do it, but I was guarding them that night. If I'd known from what, however, I would've made Jake and Seth sleep there too.


	20. Aldia

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Fango**

_Aldia?_

He does not answer me.

_Aldia, as in the Prophecies? _I would have shouted**,** had this not been a secret meeting.

Brinre, my father, had come here secretly, with what he claimed was knowledge we needed to know about the Prophecies of Aldia. There are several of them. There meanings are very clear. Two wolves would be born that would end the never ending feuds between werewolves, vampires, and humans.

Though, at this point, most humans had written us off as myths, unlike hundreds of years ago when we were as real to humans as we are to vampires, and silver bullets were the "latest thing" in hunting gear. The medieval ages were given the nickname the 'Dark Ages' by a Changeling named Quinn. He'd always called his time the Dark Ages, and within months, every werewolf in the world was, as were some shape-shifters, and vampires. So, naturally, humans were using it too and the name stuck. It helped that the humans had their own reasons for the ages to be dark. The non-humans were suffering because of the humans.

Werewolves were being hunted by oblivious humans. One werewolf in France tried to help. His name is never mentioned and we only know him as Argent Bulle, meaning silver bullet. We all like to think that he was a Changeling because no born-werewolf should have been as stupid as he was. Trying to confront a group of hunters with half of his pack in fur and half in skin…I mean _honestly!_

It had happened on the night of a full moon when they would be strongest. They surrounded a hunting group and demanded peace talk.

The pack had been a peaceful lot, but the wrong thing was said by one of the humans and the pack had attacked. One of the hunters had a silver knife and he plunged it into the heart of one of the wolves. Out of the ten wolves present, only two escaped to warn the rest of wolf kind. Out of the seven men, only three got away and thus began the legends.

Werewolves were savage beings capable of being both man and wolf. I am not sure how the only transforming on the full moon thing came into play, but I imagine one of our kind started that. Silver killed werewolves. We had always known that one, but only if it was directly inserted into our heart. All the other silver legends—poison if it touches our blood or simply enters the bloodstream—were just created to give terrified humans hope and increase our survival chances. After all, what sane person would risk their life for a direct heart-shot when they thought a simple slice to the rear would be enough?

The "into the heart" thing was applied to vampires when suspicions about them arose. I think one of our kind started the "steak to the heart" thing, or a vampire did; the sunlight thing too, probably. Garlic was probably a result of the natural bad smell it has, plus every vampire's natural distaste for human food. Obviously, any "vampire" that was executed was just an unfortunate human or non-human that wasn't a vampire.

Shape-shifters suffered just as much, especially the ones who took on forms that were anything close to wolves. So, naturally, the same conditions and rules applied to them.

Witches, too, became exposed. Some who were burned _were _witches, most were not. Most survivors fled to a group of islands in the southern hemisphere, completely hidden by magic, and only those who are told where it is can find it or see it. Many people did not know that witches were born with their power and only other beings taught by witches could control magic. Many tried to become witches, without success, and those were the ones who usually died. Occasionally, an innocent person or a real witch would be burned, but after the Great Migration so few real witches remained around humans. A grand total of two witches lived in Salem, Massachusetts and neither of them was burned.

Kind of ironic, huh?

So, all in all, they were pretty bad times for everyone. The _Volturi _were almost our allies! The very thought…! And then a light of hope illuminated the darkness.

A young werewolf, Aldia, was stabbed just near the heart. It was an accident and she had been human-formed at the time. She survived, somehow, but she was in what humans call a coma for two days. When she woke up she rambled out the prophecy in the ancient language werewolves. The humans that had been caring for her thought she was a witch and she had nearly been burned. Thankfully, there was a werewolf living in the village and he was able to get her out without violence.

He spoke to her in the same tongue as she, calming the terrified humans. He told them it was simply a language from a place called Russia and that was where her family was from. He was able to carry Aldia away to a nearby pack where she repeated the prophecy to the Alpha and shamans, the spiritual leaders and guiders of the pack.

She claimed Celbra told her about two wolves that would come and bring us from the Dark Ages. Her eyes were as silver as the moon and her voice ringed with the power of Celbra herself. Aldia had more dreams over the years, each foretelling something about the two wolves. No one really doubted her, even after the time period the human's called the Dark Ages had long passed, and our existence faded into myths that only crazies and children believed in, the non-human beings of the world never left them.

Caius provoked a werewolf that ended up nearly killing him, thus beginning the Great Murder. Wolf-like shape-shifters suffered because they could easily be mistaken for werewolves. Some shape-shifters tried to blend in and took humans as mates. It passed on the genes but allowed them to blend in with the general population.

Aldia still lives, hidden on one of the islands near the North Pole. Some say her eyes are still silver and that her fur is now as white as the snow she lives in. No one knows. We believe that she is ready to be summoned the moment she is needed, for she alone has seen the faces of the two wolves and will know them to be the ones.

And my father stood before me, in territory those who chose to rip my siblings from their home cannot enter, telling me two of those same pups are the prophesied duo.

_Yes, son. _Brinre said. _That is why they were so insistent that the pups be moved to an actual werewolf pack. We need them to grow safe and protected and be there when someone sends for Aldia._ His voice is calm, but there is a sly undertone. He is my father, but not my ally right now.

Well, two can play at this game.

_Well…this is not just my fight. We have no Alpha, same as you if you all do not bow to Harthor yet. I will discuss it with the others. If we can see your reasoning, we may let you pass. Until then…get out, Brine. _

_Fango… _He stood up, then looked around and lowered his head and whispered for only my ears. _You are my pup, as they are. Never forget that, my son._

Then he turned and walked towards his part of the forest, tail down and ears low. I tilted my head and stared after him until he'd gone. For a minute, I wondered how he and Noami _really _were taking this. Were they on our side or the other side? Were they even on a side? I shook my head then turned and bounded off in the direction of our base. Two sentries moved out to stop me when I got close. I slowed to a stop and cleared my throat. Khenn, a burly brown wolf dipped his head to me.

_What happened? _he asked.

_Brinre…wanted to talk to me about my brothers and sisters._ I said.

Khenn and growled softly. The other sentry, Zuri, a wiry, pale she-wolf's, hackles rose up and she flattened her ears.

_Easy, _I said. _He was merely telling me suspicions that the Council thought the lower wolves in the pack did not need to know._

Khenn and Zuri looked something between shocked and enraged.

_What _is _that exactly? _Khenn demanded.

I hesitated, then remembered they were on my side and no one should be excluded. _They believe the Prophecies of Aldia are coming true at last._

Dead silence. Both wolves stared at me for a long moment before Khenn spoke. _Do you believe him? _

I shrugged. _It is possible…I hope not, though._

_So, what are you going to do?_ Zuri asked.

_Discuss it with the others._

_What about us?_

_Um…do either of you _absolutely need_ to be there? _I asked.

They glanced at each other for a second and then shook their heads. _No, _Khenn said. _Just make sure you tell us everything. _

I nodded. _Alright, just make sure you two stay alert. They may try something now that we are occupied with this._

The sentries nodded and slunk back into the bushes, disappearing. I made my way into the hollow where the wolves that were not prowling were sleeping, eating, romping, or talking. I made my towards the pretty red-blonde wolf who was grooming herself in the far corner of the camp.

_Kalli, I am back. _I called. She looked up at me and so did almost every wolf in the clearing.

Kalli straightened up and smiled. _So, what did he want?_

The others hushed, waiting. No one expected my response. _They believe that two of my siblings are the two wolves in the Prophecies of Aldia. …Alba and Luna._

You could have heard a pebble drop. Complete and utter silence, no one moved, no one even breathed. No one but, Kalli, that is. She seemed perfectly calm. She was even smiling a little. I pursed my lips and waited for someone to say something. Anything!

_Alba and Luna…the Chosen Ones? _A scrawny gray wolf asked. _Im-impossible!_

_Anything is possible, Micka. _Leka said gravely.

_Two females?_ Someone else scoffed.

_You got a problem with girls?_ A white she-wolf growled.

_No! But I just think one of them should be male._

_Celbra's a girl. Maybe she chose two girls. _The wolf shot back.

Leka snapped: _Alba and Luna are the only ones that fit._

_How so? _I saw who was speaking now. It was a black and white wolf called Tyrew.

Kalli rose to her paws and waved her tail for silence. _One of the Prophecies says so. _

A tiny pale wolf stepped forward timidly. I recognized her. She was a Changeling. She had a funny way of talking. Her words were accented like my siblings and she sometimes meshed words together like Leah did. _Please, Kalli, I was human most of my life._ She said._ I…um…I don't know what…those are. Tell me? _

Kalli cleared her throat and recited them.

_Born under the full moon_

_As the leaves change _

_Cool air blows through the den_

_The moon shines bright_

I shivered.

_Silver fur of Celbra_

_Golden fur of Adralio_

_Eyes of the night_

_Noses full of ice_

_Speed of flight in their paws_

_Claws of the warrior to brandish_

_They will return us to peace_

_Hidden they will remain, concealed by the ignorant_

_Their pack is great_

_Their kin are many_

_Their Spirits are free_

_The moon's warrior and the sun's dreamer_

_Will come together _

_As Taqqiq and Siqinq reunite_

_The sun and moon share the sky_

_The longest day stretches_

_A battle rages on_

_Crying to the sky_

_Crying to the Earth_

_Blood staining the ground_

_Murdered brother_

_War begins_

The she-wolf who had asked nodded slowly. _I see. They believe it's Alba and Luna because of their pelt colors. Luna has Celbra's pelt, because she's silver and Alba has Adralio's. _

Adralio was the name for the Spirit of the Sun.

_So…if it is true, then Alba is the sun's warrior and Luna is the moon's dreamer. _Kalli said. _The stars Taqqiq and Siqniq will come together soon, as we have tried to tell Seth multiple times! _

_Why? _I asked.

_Because, _Kalli said slowly, as if to not anger anyone. _I have suspected this for a while. Almost everything seems to match._

_Please explain, _I said, trying to keep calm. Why had she not told me?

The red-blonde wolf raised her voice so everyone could hear. _Their pelt colors matched, they were born on a full moon and it was cold, the leaves were being born. We have already established that they are the right colors. I am not sure what the 'eyes of the night' means yet, but that will probably be revealed over time. Speed of flight in their paws means they run fast, and they do. They have strong claws and are excellent fighters now, for pups, anyway. _

_What about the bit about noses full of ice? _Conlor asked, coming to sit near us.

_Well, the vampires are cold and their scents must be in the pups' noses all the time. _I said thoughtfully. Maybe…just maybe…this was…true…they were the ones…

_They are hidden by the ignorant too! _One of our best fighters, Hamma, a bouncy russet she-wolf sat down next to Conlor, then Leka settled just beside her. Tyrew, the tiny she-wolf Changeling, plus Jheci, and Yhasi and her identical gray brother Teryal joined the circle, closing it up.

The other wolves drifted off or sat nearby, listening but not participating.

Jheci nodded her golden head. _Yes they are. The Cullens and shape-shifters know nothing. Their pack is great, in a sense. They have Jacob Black's pack, plus Sam Uley's too, I guess, and then the pack their parents originated in._

_That is one hell of a pack! _Teryal joked. _And the werewolf part of it is their kin, so that fits too!_

_What about the bit that says their spirits are free? _The tiny pale wolf asked.

_It could mean anything. _Hamma said. _If it means what I think it means, that they are free-spirited, then that part fits too._

_That does seem likely._

_What's your name?_ I asked, suddenly annoyed that I could not remember.

_Melody, _she said.

Leka cleared his throat. _Anyway, what about the bit with the stars of Taqqiq and Siqinq?_

_Those are what we call two stars that always follow the moon and sun. _Yhasi explained to Melody.

_They will be aligned, _I said slowly. _But I do not see how that helps us with—_

_It is simple, is it not? _Tyrew blurted suddenly. _Alba and Luna, if they are the ones Aldia meant, are going to stand against our greatest enemy on the day those two stars are aligned. At the same time that happens there will be an eclipse like there always is, and it will be on the longest day of the year._

_The summer solstice, _Jheci murmured.

_If the star patterns are correct, _Hamma said excitedly. _Then the precise day will be within three years. They will be old enough by then!_

I shook my head and pressed my nose into my paws. It was all making sense. It was true…it was true…. I tried to deny it.

_But…but the murdered brother…_

_Ooh!_ Melody cried. _Murdered brother! It is Fango!_

I shook my head. I knew without a doubt it was not me.

_No. I'm not the murdered brother. I died before birth. _

_Alec delivered the blow that killed you. _Jheci pointed out. _You were murdered._

_But blood did not stain the ground, no one cried and—_

_Yes they did. _Kalli said. _Seth howled to the sky._

_But who cried to the earth? _I challenged.

_No one…_ Melody gasped. _And no war began…_

_So… _Tyrew said slowly. _That means that…_

I threw my head back and let out a pitiful whine. If it's true, and my sisters are the ones in the Prophecies…then one of my brothers will be slaughtered.


	21. Nightmare

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Alba**

_Where are we?_ Neve whispered.

_I don't know._ Scuro whined**.**

Last night had been fun. Renesmee, my brothers, sisters and I had been having a campout under the table. Sometime during the middle of the night, I'd smelt something new and I woke up in this…place. It _looked _like a forest, but everything was cloaked in a thick, silver mist. After a minute, I was not only joined by my brothers and sisters, but by Renesmee too. She was the only one who'd kept in human form, the rest of us were in our fur.

She was between Rame and Neve who sat on either side of her like guardians. "Has anyone been here before?" she asked.

I had half a mind to tell them I _had _seen a place like this before, but it had just been a cloud of mist and nothing more. But something kept me silent.

_No, _Rame said.

_So, what do we do? _Luna asked.

"Beats me," Renesmee grumbled.

_Well we can't just sit here._ I said and stood up. _Come on. _

The others jumped up automatically and followed me towards a gap in the mist-cloaked trees.

It happened the moment I put my paw down on a patch of grass. The wind blew and the mist rushed away from us like it was terrified of our presence. I lifted my paw to see if the mist would come back. When it didn't I took a cautious step forward. Then another. And another.

Nothing happened. No more wind, no more rushes.

We were in a wide open meadow of snow-white grass. Or, was it just snow? I couldn't tell. It seemed to change every time I moved my head. The mist hovered, gleaming innocently, on the far side of the clearing. Not moving or swirling at all. It was just…there.

I swallowed nervously.

_Alba? _Scuro asked uncertainly.

I heard Luna come up beside me and I saw her wolf-smiling out of the corner of my eye. _I like it here._

"Me too," Renesmee agreed.

_It's…alright. _Scuro said dismissively.

Neve giggled. _Snow! Snow!_ And she bounded into the clearing. Her glee struck sometime inside us and I soon found myself sprinting after her, laughing and rolling in the snow—I was sure it was snow. Fluffy and cool, but not too cold, and it didn't melt when we touched it.

Scuro looked funny with the white powder sprinkled all over his midnight fur and Luna looked like Neve. Renesmee, for once, looked as pale as her parents did as she rolled around and skipped through the snow. Rame kept trying to catch one of the snowflakes that were now falling from no-where to the ground. I noticed the moon was shining, full and bright, above us, and I jumped up, throwing my head back and let out a howl.

My brothers and sisters joined in immediately. Then, to our amusement, Renesmee howled too. She was pretty good considering she wasn't a wolf. It was hard to hear anything because of our beautiful music so it took me a minute to realize a deeper howl had joined ours.

I broke off with a startled yelp and my eyes searched for the singer. I followed Luna and Scuro's gaze to a large, deep gray wolf with piercing, yet friendly, pale eyes.

_Hello, little wolves. Hello, little halfling._

Renesmee looked offended and he noticed this.

_Pardon me, _he apologized. _Hello, little vampire-human._

She smiled, satisfied. "Hello to you, too, Mr. Wolf."

He chuckled. _Well, that's a new one. _

_Who are you? _I asked.

_Who are _you?He countered.

_I'm Rame, _my brother replied. _And these are my sisters, Luna, Neve, and Alba, my brother Scuro, and, _he flicked his tail to his left. _She's our friend, Renesmee. _

The stranger wolf's gaze turned amazed. _Well…I'll be damned to Adralio!_

I frowned.

_You're them kids of Noami's!_ The wolf did this weird bounce, like he was jumping for joy.

_You know our mother? _Luna asked excitedly.

_Know her? _Know her_? Of course I know her! _He barked._ She is my niece, ain't she?_

_Is she?_

_Well…yeah! She is! _He pranced around us once then ducked his head to sniff Neve. _Well, well, well…you look like your great grand pappy, little Neve. _

_Um…thank you? _She said timidly.

_Who are you? _Scuro barked sharply.

_Tilo! _He announced. _Uncle Tilo, to you youngin's!_

"Are you dead, Tilo?" Renesmee asked bluntly.

_Are you? _"Uncle" Tilo countered.

"No," she said. "I'm alive, sort of. If vampires are dead then I'm half-dead-half-alive. Which, doesn't make any sense at all because I feel fine and—"

Tilo laughed. _You're alive, youngin'. Don't worry. As for me, well, I'm alive. Just old. _

_How old? _I asked curiously, forgetting that it was rude.

_Two thousand and fifty-five years! _He boasted.

We gaped.

_Only kidding, _he laughed. _I'm only two hundred and fifty-five._

_You're…ancient! _Rame gasped.

Tilo started laughing again. _Noami is only a hundred and ten years younger than me! _

_Jeez! Our parents are old people!_

That sent us all into a laughing fit. When we calmed down enough to talk, I asked Uncle Tilo the question I knew we'd all been thinking.

_Uncle Tilo, where are we?_

_Not sure. Might be the Forest of the Moon…but probably not. _He replied, looking around. _I was hoping one of you knew._

Scuro shook his head. _No. We're lost._

_Perhaps I can help._

We all jumped.

A dark brown wolf had approached us, unheard and unseen, and was watching us with a curious expression. I was surprised to see Tilo backing away from the new wolf, tail almost between his legs. There was a jumble of emotions in his eyes. I could only make out hurt and mistrust. I bristled, feeling unsafe, and I thought I heard someone whispering: _Run._

_You…_ He mumbled.

The brown wolf's eyes glinted. _You have served your purpose here, Tilo. Go home, now._

Tilo opened his mouth to protest, but he faded away before he could speak. He didn't seem to notice until the end.

_Uncle Tilo!_ Neve cried and tried to reach out to him, but he was gone.

I was suddenly very scared without the old wolf's presence. I growled, fluffing up my fur and sinking my claws into the ground. The others had taken similar stances and Renesmee was in a predator crouch I'd seen the vampires in when hunting. A low hiss escaped her clenched teeth.

_Relax, children. _He said, but I caught a glint of distaste when his eyes fell on Renesmee. I wasn't the only one. Luna moved in front of her with a challenge in her eyes.

_Who are you? _I demanded.

_My name is Harthor. _He said kindly. _I am a friend of your mother and father. I am here to escort you._

_Escort us where? _Rame asked suspiciously.

_Why, to the werewolf pack in the North, of course! _Harthor said as if it was obvious. _All of you, except for the half-breed, of course, she has—_

"Hey!" Renesmee shouted indignantly. "I have a name, you know. It's Renesmee, not half-breed. Not Halfling. Renesmee. Say it with me; _Ruh-ness-may._"

…_Alright. _Renesmee _ca not come with us. She has to go home to her family. _Harthor said. _She belongs there with her parents and such. _

_What about us? _Neve challenged. _Don't we belong with Mama?_

Leah _is not your mother. _He reminded her. _Your real family lies north…Tilo is there too. _His voice suddenly had a wheedling tone to it. _You _would _like to see your Uncle Tilo again, would you not? And would you like to meet your grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles…_

Yes. We did. More than anything. I was desperate to see our true kin and see if I looked like anyone who shared my blood. But I wondered _why _Tilo had been here in the first place, and why had we all come here. Renesmee clearly hadn't been expected, but she'd come anyway. Why? And why had we come here to this blissful place? Tilo obviously was clueless about what was going on, but his kindness had been genuine. _'_You have served your purpose here.' Harthor had said.

Had this steely wolf planned this or…or what?

_Can Mama come? _Rame asked.

_No, _Harthor said immediately. _She belongs with her pack._

We _are her pack. _Scuro growled.

_Oh enough of this. _He snapped and bared his teeth. _Come with me. Now. _

_No! _I said.

_Come now, pups! _He reasoned. _I am your ancestor. You can trust me._

_Mama says we're not supposed to talk to strangers. _Neve said.

"Yeah," Renesmee agreed. "My mom says if a stranger asks me to go with him I'm supposed to run."

_Well, I am not a stranger. _

_We don't know you. _Rame said. _So…go away or…or else, you overgrown fleabag!_

Harthor snapped. _You are fools! Just like your little brother and parents! Disgraces to werewolf kind!_

_Don't you talk about Mom and Dad that way!_ Scuro howled with rage and jumped on him. I saw him sink his teeth into the mean wolf's shoulder before Harthor turned, blocking him from view. Renesmee was almost a blur, darting past us and jumping over the fully grown werewolf. She and Scuro landed on the other side and scurried out of his reach.

_Enough of this, _Harthor snarled. _You are coming with me!_

_Run! _I shouted then turned and sprinted away from him, the others right behind me. I heard Harthor's snarl and he gave chase. He was faster and stronger than us; he'd catch us within seconds.

_Mama! _I shouted desperately. _Mama! Seth! Jacob! MAMA!_

Renesmee cried out, "Daddy! Help us!"

Harthor was in the air.

_Hands shook my body…_

Harthor was on top of us, wresting us to the ground.

_Hands slapping my cheeks…_

His teeth were firmly in my scruff and he was pulling me back. I think saw Luna being pulled too…

_A voice, shouting and calling to me…_

Screaming. I was screaming. Others were screaming. Screaming, shouting, howling, barking, growling, crying, chaos…. I couldn't see right. I couldn't make sense of the faces above me. I was burning up and freezing cold at the same time. Harthor's brown fur one second then pale or copper skin the next.

"GOD DAMMIT! WHAT MOVIE DID THEY WATCH?"

I knew that voice.

His large frame was suddenly very clear while everything else was still blurry.

"Emmett!" I shouted. Without thinking, I threw myself at the large vampire and cried into his shoulder. After a second, I felt his arms come around me and he patted my back. A gentler hand was smoothing my hair down and I heard Rosalie murmuring soothingly to me.

"Let me see her," Carlisle ordered from somewhere above.

Emmett let me go and Carlisle gently lowered me into the blanket. He shined a light in my eyes and felt my pulse. I was ordered to take some deep breaths, which came out as shaky gasps of air. I heard my brothers, sisters, and Renesmee crying.

"What happened?"

Leah was sitting next to me. I sobbed once and hugged her leg. "Mama…"

"What happened?" she repeated urgently.

"We—we met our uncle." I explained shakily. "Tilo. He's Noami's uncle."

"Tilo…" She murmured then her voice was sharp. "Was he a spirit?"

I shook my head. "No, and he was nice. But the other wolf wasn't."

"Describe him."

"He was…big, dark brown, and mean. He called himself Harthor. He said he was gonna escort us to a werewolf pack in the north, only he wasn't going to let you or Renesmee come."

"Thank God," Bella murmured nearby.

"He also said that we were going even if we wanted to." Scuro added. "He called us disgraces! I fought him!"

Leah gaped. "Oh, God, this is all my fault…"

"What do you mean, Mama?" Luna asked.

"Yes," Rosalie agreed. "What do you mean?"

"I should've known…I should've known…" she whispered over and over. Then she stood up and walked out of the room. I heard her door slam a few seconds later.

"Mama?" I whispered.


	22. Sash

**Aaannnndddd let it begin :D**

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

Stupid. That's what I was. The most freaking stupid, idiotic, irresponsible, disgraceful person alive! I should've known better. The night of the full moon mishap, Noami had explained to me about their power and the full moon.

"_She is the life source of all werewolves. Just as humans depend on the vitamins in the sunlight to survive, we need the moon's light, the carrier of Celbra's life force. Werewolves depend on the energy given at the full moon to pull us through another month._

_Putting them together, as you did, kept the little power they had left in them in balance…"_

The full moon was two days away so their "power" or whatever it is that keeps them going was running low. They were very vulnerable at this time. Putting them together had balanced the levels, making them equal and easy targets. Renesmee must've been caught in the balance because of her proximity and therefore pulled in too, because she'd made it clear the wolf, Harthor—who I now I hated with a passion—had not intended for her to be there. She could've been hurt or killed.

Alone they were safer, especially at night. Alone they were less bold and convincing them to go anywhere would be extremely difficult. Unless, of course, their deceiver told them their littermates were waiting at the destination.

Now, I've never really been superstitious or believed in the legends that the Quileute and all the other native tribes have about evil spirits, but the recent scare had made me open to anything. I never wanted to wake up to the sound of their terrified screeching, unable to rouse them from their nightmares.

Carlisle let me use his computer to research old legends of the local tribes. I figured something native to the area would be more useful than something from back in La Push. I tried searching _How to protect your adopted werewolf children from their dead ancestors who want to send them hundreds of miles north to a pack of werewolves you don't know, _just so I could say I'd tried everything, but the top results were song lyrics, a game, and someone going on about being attacked by a werewolf. Then I decided to get serious. I tried _How to get rid of evil spirits. _Someone suggested an Ouija board. No. I tried _Werewolf repelling _and got a load of crap about silver bullets. _Protection against evil spirits _was no help either. I was getting desperate after five more searches that turned up more crap. I tried one final search—_How to protect dreams_—and got videos and mattress adverts.

Furious, I closed out of the browser and slammed the laptop shut, earning me a reproachful glance from Carlisle. Muttering an apology, I stormed out.

A little while later I decided to get out for a while. Seth and Jacob agreed to with me and after I got Alice and Bella to swear up and down to keep an eye on the kids, we were off. Jacob drove us in the Rabbit to the main road.

"Which way?"

"North," I said without thinking.

I rested my arms on the side of the door and put my chin on top of them. I watched the Alaskan terrain pass quickly, though not as fast as when the vamps were chauffeuring us. It was nice to be able to observe a tree for longer than three microseconds. I'd forgotten what driving within the speed limit was like. Seth, obviously, didn't care and kept telling Jacob to speed up until the latter told him to shut up or he would be walking the rest of the way.

"Where we going?" I asked.

"Fairbanks, I guess." He shrugged. "Or…maybe." His gaze flicked to his dashboard and I saw the little needle was getting pretty close to the "empty" side.

"Well, at least we won't freeze to death while someone goes to get gas." I supplied helpfully.

"We won't need to. Look." Seth leaned forward from the backseat and pointed out the windshield to a sign.

_Chelon— 2 miles_

_Ester— 25 miles_

_Fairbanks— 30 miles_

Jacob grunted. "Chelon it is, then. Probably a small town."

I realized, as we drove into town, that small was a good way to describe Chelon. It made Forks look big. A lot of the residents appeared to be natives to the area plus a few other races, mostly Caucasian. The main road was lined with shops; some had faded signs with peeling letters while others looked freshly painted. As we drove down the main street, searching for a gas station, people stared at our car.

In the gap between what looked like a bar and the sheriff's office—how convenient—a group of children were playing a game in the snow. It reminded me of how blissfully the kids played in our yard. I smiled, while still feeling a little envious. These children would most likely never go through any of this. They had normal lives. Happy lives. Safe lives.

"Ok," Jacob sighed. "I'm gonna keep looking. You two can go…whatever. Just don't wander off!"

"Sweet," Seth was out of the car before I could even unbuckle my seatbelt and ran towards a group of kids playing what I had a funny feeling was football.

Boys.

I nodded once to Jacob then got out. I waited until he'd driven away before I looked around. A couple stared at me from the sidewalk. For a minute, I wondered what was wrong, then I realized how wrong I was dressed. I had a t-shirt with a long-sleeve shirt under it plus jeans and boots. No sensible human would walk around without a coat and gloves this time of year.

Ducking my head and crossing my arms over my chest, I hurried into the closest building, which turned out to be a pub. It was a nice little place, all things considered. The air was thick with smoke, the combined scents of alcohol and food. Men and women, some as young as college students and others old enough to be my grandparents, were sitting at tables, throwing darts at a board, lounging at the bar, playing pool, or shouting at the television that was in the far corner.

The Colts were beating the Broncos seventeen to six.

People noticed me immediately. Heads turned and eyes snapped up from their drinks or from the green surface of the pool tables. Someone wolf whistled and I felt a blush creeping up my neck. Figures. Keeping my head low, I ventured past the watchers and sat down at the bar. The bartender, a nice, but firm, looking lady smiled at me.

"Hello, hon." She said with a thick, southern accent. _Sheesh, tumbleweed, where did you blow in from?_

"Hi," I smiled.

"New to these parts?"

_Not as new as you sound. _"Sort of," I admitted. "We just stopped for gas."

"Well, hows about a drink while you're here?" She offered. "What would ya like?"

"Got any hot chocolate?" I asked.

She smiled. "Just made a fresh batch. One second."

She left and came back with a cup and a pot. She poured the creamy brown liquid into the cup then pulled out a can of whipped cream behind the counter. I nodded my approval and she squeezed a dab on the top.

"Thanks," I said, then took a gulp. My mouth registered the change in temperature, but it didn't faze me.

Tumbleweed stared. "Careful, there, that's awful hot, hon."

"Leah," I corrected after swallowing another mouthful. "And I don't mind the temperature."

"To each their own, I reckon. The name's Liz." She pulled up a stool behind the counter and sat down. "So, where are you from?"

"La Push, Washington, but we moved just south of Healy a few months ago."

"Oh, so just passing through, then?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I needed to get away."

"Family troubles?" she asked.

"Er…"

"Oh, pardon me. I didn't mean to pry." She apologized, standing up. "I just get curious. We don't get new folks around here much."

I finished my hot chocolate quickly then left five dollars on the counter and hurried out, ignoring the stares as I went. Once outside, I felt the urge to explore. I chose a shop just down the road with interesting trinkets in the window. The symbols, patterns, and designs were very familiar. Native American trinkets. I went inside.

The shop smelt like cinnamon and pine. I loved it. Tables and shelves lined the walls and the middle of the room. There were bowls, quilts, rugs, toys, pots, jewelry, music, instruments, plus more. All of them were of tribal origin. I found myself over by a set of dream catchers that were resting on a table. They were beautiful, the webbing so intricate, and the feathers and beads were so properly placed. Skilled hands had crafted these. One in particular caught my attention. In the mesh of it there was a picture of a brown wolf. Instantly, I thought of Harthor and I growled softly.

Dream catchers were placed above the beds of children to prevent bad dreams and bad spirits from harming them at night. Harthor and the others were just that: spirits. Nothing to our world but dreams and memories—though most of them were bad now. I gently picked it up and held it close, tracing my fingers over the edge.

Then I saw the price.

The Cullens would've given me enough money to buy the all of these, but I hated leeching off the leeches and besides, it wouldn't have felt right if it I didn't pay for this trinket myself. I wanted to give the kids something that I earned myself.

"You're going to have to pay for that."

I jumped and whirled around.

For a moment, my heart stopped.

A young man, around my age, had come up behind me, unheard through my deep thinking. He was one of the native locals, with copper skin and coal black eyes. His hair was dark and long, only a bit longer than Seth's shoulder-length hair. His face was like a round oval, similar to the shape of Amari's face but his cheekbones were higher. He also had a boyish look to him—despite muscles I could see on his arms—that I'd only seen on Seth.

I swallowed and noticed my throat had gone very dry; my heart was pounding in my ears. I was breathless.

For half a second, I wondered if _it _had just happened. The imprinting that it seemed every wolf in our pack was destined to go through. But in the same moment, I was sure it hadn't. I had heard it in the mindlink from Sam and Jared, then from Quil, Paul, Jacob, and Embry after it happened to them, what it felt like to imprint. Their whole world had been about their "mate" from the first look. It wasn't like that. But I felt this alien and unexplainable feeling to take a step closer to him, to converse, and befriend.

And, damn, he was cute! I felt the heat rushing to my cheeks. _Oh please don't notice. _"Of course," I managed to say. Thankfully, my voice was pretty steady.

Then I noticed that he, too, looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I thought you were my sister."

I rolled my eyes. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"No, no!" He said quickly. "You didn't—I mean…well…. Um…what's you're name?"

"Leah, Leah Clearwater."

"I'm Sash Hunter."

"Sash?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, don't hate the name." He looked offended and I instantly regretted my tone. It must've shown, because he cracked a huge grin. "No, it's alright. People wonder about that all the time. It's kind of like a nickname and it beats my real name, anyway."

I smiled, happy that I started a conversation. Liz in the diner had been alright to talk to for a minute, but it had been ages since I'd spoken to someone my own age that wasn't in the Cullen clan or in the packs.

"Is it something like Eugene Rosemary?"

He laughed so loud I was surprised that the shopkeeper didn't come to shut him up. Then I noticed a key ring dangling from his neck, along with a beaded necklace like I'd seen on the other side of the store. Maybe he worked at the little shop. It made sense, I mean; these were Native American items and he obviously was a descendant.

"No, no." He said when he was able to speak. I was grinning like an idiot. I liked the sound of his laughter. "But good guess! My real name is Alexander Hunter Dawson and Sash is a nickname for Alexander. Plus, I don't like the name Dawson, it reminds me of Jack from Titanic and my sister had this fangirl crush on Jack Dawson so it just kind of felt weird...I'm sorry I'm babbling."

"So you like going by your nickname and middle name. Sash Hunter. Got it." I winked and heard his heart speed up a little.

_Oh no. Did I just flirt? _He had that grin on his face that I'd seen boys get when a cheerleader had winked at them. _Crap._

"So, do you live around here?" He asked casually, but red flags went up.

Suddenly, his boyish features vanished. He was older, his bright eyes were dark and intense, his hair was cropped short, and his muscles rippled on his bare chest. I wasn't in the shop anymore. Were on my porch…it was raining…his voice was deeper and…he was Sam, apologizing, telling me it was over between us, there was someone else, apologizing but not surrendering, and I was begging—

I jerked myself back into the present to see Sash waiting for my answer.

"Um…what was the question?" I asked stupidly.

"Do you live around here?" he repeated patiently but I saw a smile tugging at his lips.

"Oh…um…sort of, I guess. I live down near Healy, just outside the Denali forest." I admitted. "I used to live in La Push, Washington, though. I grew up there."

"Oh," he seemed only a little disappointed. "So, what are you doing up here? There's no colleges around here or any good work, for that matter."

"It's kind of complicated. I'm…a foster child, you see, and my parents decided to come up here. _Dad _took a job at some hospital around here."

"Is he a doctor?"

I nodded.

"Doctor…something a C…"

"Cullen?"

"Yeah!"

"You know him?" I asked.

"Yeah," Sash said. "He patched up a friend of mine a few weeks back. Dislocated shoulder. Ouch."

"Well, he patches a lot of people up."

"Lucky you. If one of you dislocates something or starts bleeding to death, you don't even have to leave your house. No medical bills! Must be nice." He joked, but his choice of words chilled me. I shivered and hoped he hadn't noticed.

"Yeah," I agreed. "No worries there." Like seriously. We heal up before he's needed most of the time.

"So," he said, changing the subject. "You like dream catchers?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "My mom made me one when I was little and hung it over my bed."

"So…La Push." He scrunched up his nose and looked at the ceiling. "That's…the Makah tribe?"

I laughed and shook my head. "No, Quileute. The Makah's are our neighbors."

"Quileute." He smacked his forehead. "Gah, I should've remembered that! Don't tell my teacher! She'll kill me!"

Teacher? "How old are you?" I asked.

"Eighteen." He said. "Why?"

"You look twenty."

He laughed. "I get that a lot. What about you? Or…is that one of those questions you're not supposed to ask a girl?"

"Well, yeah. Let's just say I'm right around there." I winked again. _I'm also unable to age, I morph into a giant wolf, I have five adopted kids that are werewolves, and I run with bloodsuckers. _

"Older or younger?"

"Sash!" A woman scolded nearby, then said something in an unfamiliar language.

He called back to her in the same language then looked at me almost sadly. "Well, my mother's orders are that I have to leave you alone so you can finish your shopping."

So he _did _work here. "No, it's alright. I…I can't afford this anyway." I looked down sadly at the dream catcher that I still held in my hands. I turned to put it back, but his hand covered mine. It felt like electricity ran through my hand, up my arm, and right to my heart. I smiled shyly, but curiously, as he gently took the trinket from me.

"Be right back." He said and then he was gone, leaving me stunned and feeling lighter than I had in a while.

_Whoa, girl, settle down there. _I told myself. No reason to get excited over a cute boy.

He came back a minute later, still holding the dream catcher, and he placed it back my hand. I stared down at it, then looked back up at him. "What—?"

"Keep it." He winked and my heart fluttered a bit. Damn.

I couldn't help it. I smiled slyly. "Now that doesn't seem right. How about a trade?"

"Seems fair. What do you got?"

"What do you want?"

Sash frowned, thinking, then his eyes brightened and he grinned. "Would your phone number be too much to ask?"

I hesitated. For a second, I saw Sam's face again, but it was gone in an instant and Sash was still there, waiting hopefully. Have I mentioned how cute he was?

So, I smiled. "Do you have a pen?"

He pulled one out of his pocket immediately, which led me to believing he'd been planning to ask for my number anyway. I pushed the head out and wrote the digits on the underside of his arm, making sure nothing showed on the sides.

Satisfied, I handed him the pen back.

"Well, be seeing you." I said.

"I hope so." He murmured. I felt his eyes on me as I left the store. I glanced back once and saw him staring out the window.

_Dude's been moonstruck._ I thought with a strange glee.

"Leah!"

Jacob and Seth were marching up the street. When they got to me, Seth gave my arm a small punch, but I barely felt it. "Leah! Why did you run off?" he griped. "We've been looking all over for you!"

I smacked him on the head playfully. "I didn't run off, doofus. I went exploring."

"And you made a friend." Jacob noted. He was looking over my shoulder at—

"Hey!"

Sash! Crap.

I turned around and groaned quietly. "Hey, Sash." I said. "Long time, no see."

He ignored me and glared daggers at Seth. "'the hell did you hit her for?"

Seth and Jacob looked at each other, then both of them burst out laughing.

"Leah's got a boyfriend! Leah's got a boyfriend!" Seth sang.

"Shut up!" I took a swing and he dodged.

"Leah's got a boyfriend!"

"Seth!" I launched myself at him and pulled his head under my arm. He yelped and complained until I released him. He jumped back, rubbing his neck.

Sash was still glaring.

Seth held up his hands. "Dude, relax. She's my sister."

Sash instantly looked embarrassed. "Oh. S-sorry…I thought that…"

Jacob nodded. "'s alright, dude. I'm Jacob."

"I'm Seth," my brother added.

"I'm Sash. So, are you both her brothers?"

"Uh," Jacob rocked back on his heels. "Kind of. I'm more of her cousin.

Sash blinked.

"Family thing," I added helpfully, then turned to Jacob. "Is the Rabbit gassed up?"

He nodded.

"Rabbit?" Sash's eyes sparked with a new light. "Volkswagen?"

"Yeah," Jacob said, half-interested, then he seemed to realize what Sash had said and a huge grin spread over his face.

"What year?"

"1986—I rebuilt most of it."

"Good model," Sash put his hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt. "I prefer the 1990 myself. I like the design."

"Nice find, Leah." Seth muttered. I glared.

Sash ended up following us back to the town's only gas station to examine Jake's handiwork. Jacob was grinning ear to ear—something that rarely happened without Renesmee around—and seemed ready to invite Sash into the pack. If only he was a wolf…

I found myself wondering, as Sash talked to Jacob, what his wolf would be like if he had one. He would be skinny and muscular, definitely, and long-limbed but not really gangly like Seth. Tall. I knew his fur would be shining white, like the snow around us, and his black eyes would stick out like dark stars. The complete opposite of Sam; I needed that.

The image was so real that for a second, I saw the wolf where he stood. Then the wind blew his scent toward me and I sighed. Human. Damn.

"Well," Seth whispered to me. "Jake and I like him. Now he's just gotta impress the rest of the family."

"Seth!"


	23. Sneaking Away

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

"What does he look like?"

"Is he nice?"

"Are you two gonna get married_?_"

"Is he a wolf too?"

All six children crowded around me, demanding to know about the guy Seth said I'd met. I patiently answered their questions the best I could, until Jasper, sensing my annoyance, came over to relieve me of the curious kids, leaving me to Alice and Bella who had been waiting with a patience only vampires had to ambush me. I did _not _want to have a girl talk with the vamps, but it appeared I had no choice.

They dragged me out back to the garden Esme had made. I was amazed at how she could make such a pretty garden in such a cold place. The scent of pine from the trees was comforting, like home, and the fragrances of the all the flowers—probably every kind you can grow in Alaska—reminded me of the flowers my mother used to grow. We sat on the porch swings that were in the back under an overhang of thick pine branches the cover of which hadn't stopped a bit of snow from falling through.

"Spill," Alice ordered the moment we were seated.

I stared blankly, pretending to be confused.

"Oh don't try that, Leah." Bella rolled her eyes. "Tell us about him. Do you think he'll call? We can be ready in case he shows up."

She had a point. They needed to be _very _human around him. Since the kids came into my life, I hadn't really thought about a "mate" at all. Not that I needed one. I am an independent female and I am perfectly capable of living my life without a guy. I didn't know how serious things might end up being with Sash. Hell, I'd just met the guy and he hadn't even called yet. I wasn't just going to spring the secret existence of mythical creatures him. That was cruel and mean and a guaranteed way to have him run screaming for the hills.

But, I knew that if and when he met everyone, his days of ignorance would be numbered. With the werewolves and Renesmee aging rapidly we wouldn't be able to conceal the secret forever. I was afraid what might happen to him then—I knew the consequences of a human knowing of vampires—but I hoped, maybe, he would believe we were all shape-shifters and not run screaming about vampires and remind the Volturi of the Cullens and in turn bring my children to their notice. Yet, somehow, I knew he wouldn't. I knew, when he found out, we would be able to trust him. There was something about him. I wasn't sure what, exactly, but I knew I could trust him. I knew he was different than everyone else. I just…sensed _something_ there. Not the way I could sense a wolf hiding beneath the skin of my brother nor the way I could sense the predator beneath Alice's giddy expression, but something else.

So, I told them about the little shop, the dream catcher, and about meeting Sash. Bella thought it was odd how I had felt when I saw him.

"It's…like you imprinted."

"But it isn't!" I explained. "Jake said the moment he saw Renesmee everything became about her. Nothing else held him down, nothing else mattered. He loved you the second before he saw her and the second after you were nothing but his best friend."

She nodded and I continued.

Alice's tinkling laugh echoed throughout the air when I told them about our little trade.

"What brought that on?" Bella asked.

I shrugged.

"Well, that takes guts." Bella said. "Boys can be so stupid when it comes to asking pretty girls questions. He didn't stutter at all?"

"Not really. But at one point he did have the oh-my-god-the-senior-girl-just-winked-at-me look the freshman boys get sometimes," I pointed out.

"Well, he's still a guy."

"So then what happened?" Alice pressed.

"Well, when I got outside I was ambushed by Seth and Jacob. They'd been looking all over for me, apparently. Anyway, Seth punched me on the arm—he was playing, of course—and I reamed him on the head. Of course, Sash was watching and he didn't know Seth was playing. He came out yelling at him and we explained that we were family and just playing. Then I said something about the Rabbit and Sash and Jacob started talking about cars."

Bella sighed, "Of course." Yeah, she knew all about Jacob's love of cars and all things motorized.

Sash called two days later. I remember Sam doing that, too. I guessed he just didn't want to seem overly eager, meaning he probably was. I'm not sure why, but that gave me even more butterflies than I'd had with Sam. _Stop right there, _I told myself. _Do not compare him to Sam._

"Ma—uh, I mean—Leah! You're boyfriendis on the phone!" Neve shouted, running up the stairs with my cell phone in hand.

I heard Sash laughing on the other end. I took the phone from her and thanked her before saying hi to Sash.

"_Hey, Leah," _he said. I silently cursed my heart for skipping a beat.

"Hey. You sure know how to create a commotion." I told him.

"_Me? What did I do?"_

"Well, everyone here has been hounding me and wants to meet you."

"_Really?"_

"Seth blabbed the moment we got home." I explained. "Went skipping through the door singing 'Leah's got a boyfriend.'"

He laughed. _"He sounds like a typical little brother."_

"He is."

"_Well, he'll grow up eventually."_

Maybe. Eventually. But I had a feeling he'd keep his wolf a long time. And that meant no growing up for Seth.

"Yeah," I agreed. "But not soon enough." He laughed again and the sound made me giggle.

By now the kids had gathered around and were trying to listen in. I did my best to ignore them, but when I got interrupted mid-sentence by Rame impatiently demanding to know what was going on, I snapped.

"It's none of your business! Go away!" I bared my teeth in a snarl.

Rame's eyes filled with tears. He turned and ran away. Neve and Scuro gave me reproachful looks then followed him. Luna looked hurt and started to cry. She fled with her hands in her face. Alba scowled then stomped away. Renesmee's lip trembled and she ran out of the room.

I sighed and put my hand on my forehead. "Oy." Bella peered in and gave me an understanding, if somewhat annoyed look, then left.

"_Leah?"_

"Sorry, Sash. It's the kids. They've been sitting around for the past five minutes. Little gossip vultures…."

"_Kids?"_

"Yeah…the younger kids who live here. Doctor and Mrs. Cullen are foster parents, remember?"

"_So, that little girl who answered the phone…?"_

"Yeah, she's one of them."

"_Jeez. How many people live there?"_

"Oh, only seventeen…" I said casually.

He made a strange choking noise.

"What?"

"_Only seventeen?"_

"Yeah. There's the parents, Carlisle and Esme, plus all us kids. Alice, Edward, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Bella, Renesmee, Jake, Seth, Alba, Rame, Scuro, Neve, Luna, and myself."

He was silent.

"What?"

"_That's…a lot of people."_

"I'm used to lots of people." I said simply. "Look, I got to get off. I've got some kids I need to apologize too."

"_Alright. Have fun."_

"…You're kidding, right?"

No response.

"Right?"

He laughed then hung up.

I sighed. Guys.

I was lucky the kids were forgiving. When I went downstairs, I was prepared for tears and anything else they might dish out to make me feel bad. But when I got there, I found them, instead, listening to Bella. I hung back near the stairs and listened to her telling them what it was like when she realized she liked Edward and how she liked just being alone with him, not having to worry about her friends overhearing them.

"Is that why Mama got so mad?" Luna asked.

"Well, why don't you let her answer that?" Bella inclined her head towards me. All the kids turned around.

"We're all sorry, Mama." Neve said.

"We won't do it again." Luna promised.

Two weeks later, I decided to go up and visit him, even though Carlisle had requested I wait. I just couldn't convince myself to not go. The timing was perfect. Jake and the Seth were taking the kids into the woods teach them about useful plants and the Cullens were going even farther in to feed. It couldn't have been any better if I'd planned it.

I waited a half hour after everyone left before I made my departure, just in case. Then I got a bag and put a sweatshirt, boots, undergarments, nice jeans, my cell phone, some money, and a nice t-shirt inside. I got out of my clothes downstairs and waited until I was upstairs before I phased. Ducking my head, I picked the bag up with my teeth and headed out the door. I made sure to close it before I took off running towards the woods.

I loved the adrenaline racing through my body. Whether it was from the run or the thrill that I was sneaking away, I wasn't sure. Alice would soon realize she could see the house and would know I wasn't there like I was supposed to be. I didn't have long to get to Chelon, maybe ten minutes at best. Thirty miles in ten minutes; even with my fast legs that was pushing it.

Five minutes later, my cell phone rang from inside the bag. I ignored it, even when it kept ringing and ringing, until I finally had to stop and phase back to shut the thing off.

_Sorry, Alice_.

I slipped my clothes on quickly then ran the last few miles on foot. I stashed my bag under some bushes to retrieve later then made my way into Chelon.

It was just as much of a chipper little town as before. No one paid me much attention now that I was dressed properly except for a group of teenagers clustered around an old truck, staring at me. I heard my name muttered, Sash's. The bravest—or the most curious—a slightly plump girl with blonde hair, detached herself from the group and walked towards me.

"Hello," she said nervously. I found myself unable to speak for a second. Her wispy voice was almost musical. So much like a vampire's, yet she was as human as Sash. What was it with the people in that town?

"Hi."

"Are you…uh…is your name Leah, by any chance?"

I acted surprised. "Yes? How did you know?"

"It's just, well, we don't get many visitors here and Sash has been talking about you for nearly a month now." She explained. "You match his description perfectly."

"How did he describe me?" I asked without thinking.

She giggled a bit. "Tall, long black hair, black eyes, copper skin, a nice smile, and you look like you're from down south."

I felt myself blushing. "He said all that?"

She nodded and then leaned closer. "You're one lucky girl. A lot of chicks around here have their eyes on him."

I blushed even harder. "What?"

She nudged me. "I'm Cassidy Tate, by the way. You lookin' for Sash now?"

I nodded, planning to ask Sash why all his friends assumed we were a pair. My lot had a right to after Seth's little bit of fun, but I doubted Sash would skip around singing he had a girlfriend. Not that I had a problem with it, exactly, but we'd only met once and spoken over the phone a couple dozen times.

Grinning broadly, Cassidy turned to her friends and announced I was Leah, before grabbing me by the hand and pulling me down the road.

"Wow, you're hands _are _hot." She gasped. "I can feel it through my gloves!" Did he tell them I lived with sixteen otherpeople, too? Well, even if he did, Cassidy didn't mention it. "I'm surprised you're real," she admitted at one point. "Some of us thought he was lying, but here you are!"

I laughed a bit. "Yeah, I'm real."

She led me out of the main town, towards the far woods. My instincts automatically kicked in and I gently pulled my hand away. "Where are we going?" I asked cautiously.

"To Sash, like I said. He's always out here on Saturdays." She pointed up ahead to a small patch of trees in the clearing ahead. I strained my ears and listened for any sounds of life. Sure enough, I heard a heartbeat and an unfamiliar song being played by a familiar instrument. I'd heard many people throughout La Push playing the flute when I was younger. By the sound of it, it was made out of hard wood.

"Oh Sa-a-ash!" Cassidy sang when we got close enough.

The music stopped. I looked up and gasped when I saw a tree house held up by four trees. From my position, I could see it was probably two-stories and had rope swing dangling down the side, plus a spot where a ladder could be placed. There was a basket sitting in the edge of the trailing. I pictured several young children spending long hours in this place.

My eyes found Sash immediately. He was leaning over the side, looking for us.

"Hey, Cassette Tape." He called. "What's up?"

"Cassette Tape?" I whispered.

"It's my nick name." Cassidy grumbled.

"Who else is down there?" Sash asked and I realized the leaves still blocked me from view.

"Oh, no one special," Cassidy said innocently and gave me a push forward.

Sash's face changed quicker than I'd ever seen a face change—curious, shocked, confused, then happy and excited.

"You better not give me a stupid nickname." I warned him.

"Do you believe me now?" He asked Cassidy.

"Yup," she said. "And you're welcome. Later."

I didn't turn to watch her leave. Instead, I just smiled up at Sash. "Well, aren't you going to invite me up? I came all this way, you know."

He laughed then vanished. I heard him moving around, then suddenly a rope ladder was falling down. I didn't need one to get up there, but I figured he would be freaked if he saw me run up the tree. So, instead, I decided to show off by scaling the ladder like it was completely sturdy. He stared in shock for a second, before giving his head a tiny shake. "Wow, you're as fast as a cat."

_Wolf. _I silently corrected. "Thanks."

"So, what are you doing here?" He asked. "Not that I mind or anything, uh, I just wasn't expecting you."

I smiled mischievously. "I snuck out. They're going to be mad."

If anything, that made him happier. "Daredevil. How did you get up here?"

"Would you believe me if I said I walked?" I asked.

He shrugged and grinned. He didn't believe me. "So, since you were with Cassidy, I guess you met—"

"Oh yeah, about that," I interrupted. "From the way she was talking, you've been going around telling everyone we're boyfriend and girlfriend."

His face turned so red I was afraid he'd pass out or something. "She _what? _Oh man…I'm sorry. She likes to jump to conclusions. I just said I'd met a nice girl and I was talking on the phone with you."

I giggled.

"Gah…I'm so sorry about that." He looked genuinely apologetic and I believed him.

"It's no big," I assured him. "It's not like I live around here."

"So, has your brother told everyone at school yet?" Sash asked.

I shook my head. "No, I don't go to school. I graduated already."

"Really?" His eyebrows went up a bit. "Wow. I thought you were my age."

"I used to be." I said. "I'm twenty, actually."

"Seriously?"

I nodded and then we both laughed. I remembered it being like this with me and Sam. The easy, carefree bliss of first love…but it felt more…_right _this time. Once again, I wondered if I'd imprinted or something like it.

He gave me the grand tour of the treehouse. I'd been right; this place was their childhood hangout. Cassidy, and himself, plus their friends Kris, Tim, Kristy, and Elena had spent many days romping in this place, playing every game from pirates to rescue-the-kidnapped-princess. Of course, as each of them entered their teenage years the idea of tree house hangouts became childish and now the place was Sash's to do whatever he wished and he chose to make it his own private retreat.

"Wha's our headin', Capin'?" I asked roughly, standing at the pirate's wheel.

Sash jumped down from a tree branch and landed on the floor. "We be goin to…the Aurora Borealis!"

I made a face. "The Northern Lights, capin'?"

Sash smiled and dropped the act. "Yeah. When we were kids we always wanted to sail to the Northern Lights. Kristy said we'd go in and we could have any wish we wanted. We always used to talk about what wishes we'd make when we got there."

I laughed. "Really? Tell me some of yours."

He leaned against the railing. "Well, one time I decided I would wish to be able to shift into any animal I wanted. Another time I decided I would wish I could fly. Then I decided to wish for a dog sled and team."

I raised one eyebrow. "You wanted to be a shape-shifter?"

He nodded. "I could sneak around as whatever animal I want. I could be a mouse, or a dog, or a bear, or a bird. That…would be awesome."

"Yeah," I agreed. Too bad shape-shifters only had two forms.

"Would you, if you could?" he asked. "Shape-shift?"

_I can. _"Definitely."

"What would you be?"

"You first," I said.

"Hmm…" Sash pursed his lips and looked up at the sky through the holes in the leaves. "An eagle, I guess. They're strong, handsome—like me—and they can fly."

I smiled. "I can see you as an eagle." I really could, but I still liked my picture of him as a wolf.

"What about you?" He asked.

"Wolf," I said without hesitating.

He seemed intrigued. "Why?"

"Because wolves rule," I said. "Plus, according to our legends, my people are descendents from wolves and the elders say that some of my ancestors were wolves that turned into men."

"My great-granddaddy used to say that arctic wolves guided our ancestors into this land and were like members of our tribe." Sash said nonchalantly.

My blood went as cold as the snow around us. "_What?_"

Sash turned to look at me, confused by the expression on my face. He must've misread my it, because his voice turned teasing. "Don't worry. A wolf isn't going to jump you when you come on my front porch. That legend, if it's true, is from generations ago. Wolves are wild animals now. We leave them be and they usually stay away…unless they're hungry, then they'll venture near town. In that case, we shoot them off. Though, sometimes, the wolves around here are huge."

"Huge…wolves?" I asked slowly. "How huge?"

"Big. The size of horses. Bigger, maybe." He leaned closer eagerly. "I saw one that was taller than me! It came at me…I thought it was going to kill me. I shot it. It stumbled off and died somewhere, probably. A lot of the boys around here brag that they've shot one wolf, just in impress girls, you know? I think they're liars, though. They would've kept the pelts as prizes and—Leah?"

I was pretty sure my face was very pale by then. I had to sit down. I stumbled inside the tree house and flopped down onto the cushion. He followed and sat down behind me. Sash had shot a werewolf.

"Don't worry," he assured me, not understanding my fear. "I can protect you from wolves."

I wanted to cry. He couldn't protect me from what I was. Maybe this was a mistake. I looked out at the forest. I could run now. I could go away and forget him. Deactivate my phone, get a new one, and vanish forever. But as I was planning to do just that, I felt a pang that wiped all thoughts of fleeing from my mind. I couldn't leave him. God. Damn. It. I had imprinted, hadn't I?

"So, about your legends," he said, changing the subject. "Did anyone ever change shape?"

I nodded, happy to think about something else besides werewolves, running, and imprinting. "Yes, Taha Aki and all his direct _male_ descendants."

Sash's dark eyes brightened with curiosity. "Really?"

So I told him the legend of Taha Aki and Utlapa. I tried to be animated with it so he'd be drawn in the way we always were around bonfires. He watched eagerly, taking in the story that explained my very existence. When I got to the part about Taha Aki changing from the handsome wolf to a man once more, his eyes flipped wide.

"Wow. I would've loved to see those guys faces."

I smiled. "Utlapa tried to run but Taha Aki, strengthened with rage and love for his people, was able to overtake him! Taha Aki remained a wolf for many years, never aging, until he met his soul mate. Then he gave up his wolf and began to age once more. All his male children, and their male children, and so on…became wolves too. Though, it was natural, and happened when they reached manhood. After time, they changed less and less until one day they died out. Some still say that the gene lives on in the tribe and from time to time, someone shows signs of being a wolf, but no one knows for sure. So, the descendents of Taha Aki carry his gift inside them, but are unable to break free." I finished.

Sash clapped. "You're a great storyteller, Leah. Do any of the direct descendants ever pretend to be wolves?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Seth roped me into it, too."

His face changed from curious to blank in second. I waited.

"You say that like…" he paused. "_You're _a direct descendent?"

I nodded. "Me, Seth, Jacob…and others—oh crap."

In the distance, two howls rang out through the forest. I knew they were meant for me and me alone.

"What's wrong, Leah?" Sash asked.

Of course his ears hadn't picked up the sound. He was just a human. But my ears detected the cries of my brother and Jacob. I wondered why it'd taken them so long to find me.

"My high and mighty Alphais coming to get me." I muttered.

Sash made a face. "How do you know?"

"I heard him." I grumbled angrily and ran outside and jumped on top of the roof and scrambled up the branches with ease.

"Leah!" Sash called from below. "How'd you get up there?"

I ignored him, listening harder. Seth howled again. They weren't far. I growled and dropped down from branch to branch, to the roof and onto the deck.

"Dang, Leah!" Sash was looking at me with new respect. "You're one heck of a climber."

I winked playfully. "It runs in the family."

He rolled his eyes. "Ha ha, Leah, very funny, Tikaani."

I tilted my head. "What did you call me?"

"Tikaani."

"What's it mean?"

He grinned. "Figure it out."

It was about then that I heard Jacob and Seth's footsteps. I sighed and leaned against the railing near the wheel. "Admiral, we have enemy ships in sector 47." I mumbled.

Sash laughed just as a furious shout sounded from the edge of the forest. "Leah!"

I winced. Jacob was pissed. Sash pointed it out and I sighed.

"Up here, Jake."

I saw Seth first. He glared up at us but his eyes gleamed with mischief. Oh, he was going to have a field day with this. Jacob, however, wan annoyed.

"Why the hell did you run off? Carlisle is mad at you! Get down here!" Jacob ordered. I felt the inner tug at his words that I rarely felt. Jacob almost _never _issued an Alpha command. I sighed and made my way over to the ladder and climbed down. I stood face to face with him with my hands on my hips.

"Yes, Jacob _Black?_" I snapped.

He caught what I meant and he looked slightly apologetic.

"Need I remind you all that I am twenty years old?" I snapped quietly, showing my teeth. "I am a legal adult and therefore I am allowed to go where I wish. I don't need that vamp's permission to do anything."

"Leah, it's time to go home." Jacob said and then a bit more loudly, "Esme is frantic."

I was tempted to snap, "She can be frantic!" but I didn't. I growled softly at him, though. "I want to stay here."

"Leah," Jacob warned.

"Yes, most high Alpha." I snapped. When I turned up to Sash I made sure my face was sad. "I gotta go. Mommy is mad at me."

He frowned sadly, but didn't argue. "Alright, I'll see you around, Tikaani."

When we were out of hearing range, Jacob asked me what Sash had called me.

"Tikaani…I'm not sure what it means." I said honestly.

"Leah, don't run off again." Seth said. "Just ask from now on. Me and Jake, we'll watch the kids whenever you two want to hang out with him. Alright?"

I smiled. "Thans, Seth. Oh, and Jacob? Don't you _ever_ go Alpha-mode on me like that in front of Sash again! Alpha or no Alpha, I'll kick your furry ass off a mountain."

Jacob smirked. "Whatever you say, Leah, whatever you say. Oh, by the way, have fun with the girls. I'm sure they're _dying_ to know what happened today."

I groaned.

* * *

**Sooo did you like it? Please don't go all moony over Sash. x.x **


	24. Meet the Family

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

True to their word, Seth and Jacob were willing to keep an eye on the kids whenever I went to visit Sash. I usually went up at the weekends, but one time I scared the life out of him by dropping out of a tree in front of him while he was walking home from school.

"Holy—!" He'd gasped when I'd landed.

I'd grinned. "I already have one nickname. Do I really need another?"

He'd rolled his eyes.

Sash was quickly becoming my best friend. And, truth be told, I actually liked the idea of an understanding friend more than a suitor. For the time being, anyway. His family, however, didn't seem to think so. His mother practically cried when he brought me to meet them. "_Aama, _this is Leah, the one I gave the dream catcher to." He'd said.

I tried to be as polite as possible while I was introduced to the entire household. There was his mother, Brenda, his aunt and uncle, Lewis and Tracy, their tabby cat, Twitch, and his sister, Penny. I could sort of tell how he'd confused me with her in the shop. She had long ebony hair, just not as long as mine, but she was smaller than I was. But from behind we were almost identical.

His mother was very happy I was hanging around with Sash and his uncle Lewis, the father-figure of the house since Sash's dad had died, treated me like a daughter. Tracy didn't really talk to me, even though she smiled, but according to Sash she rarely spoke to _anyone_ except Lewis, of course_. _I heard her and his uncle talking quietly about how happy they were that Sash had finally found a 'nice girl.'

The cat kept fixing me with a strange, knowing look. He knew what I was. But Twitch seemed to like me.

Penny and Sash had found the cat being harassed by a group of rowdy kids that had stopped in town for the day, and while Penny went to collect the terrified animal, Sash sent the brats running back to their parent's fancy car with a 8' by 4' of pinewood. Twitch had never been exactly right after that. His tail always jerked and he was very jumpy and skittish. The fact I'd not only coaxed him out from under the couch, but got him onto my lap and was permitted to rub his belly, was simply amazing to them.

The only real problem was Penny. She was coolly polite, but there was unfriendliness in her gaze. Sash later told me it was because he and Penny had always been close and she felt like I was taking him away. So, I didn't go back over there for a week and a half. I would've stayed away longer, but then Sash called and asked me to come and while we were safely in the tree house, he told me Penny had gotten in trouble for being so cold and she apologized to me when I saw her later that day.

"Hey Tikaani, when can I meet your family?" Sash asked when I was down there on a weekend in March.

We were sitting on the front deck of his house, sipping the hot chocolate his mother had provided.

"When you tell me what _tikaani_ means." I replied and took another sip.

Penny poked her head out the window. "It means wolf."

"_Penelope!_" Abandoning his beverage, Sash sprang up and ran inside the house. There was a yelp and Penny tore out of the house with Sash right behind her. He tackled her in the yard. They both tussled around, laughing like little kids. I sat back, enjoying the sibling scuffle. Their little fight ended with both of them covered in snow from head to toe and no one a victor.

"Why'd you tell her?" He whined.

She grinned. "Because I can."

His scowl turned into a triumphant smirk. "I broke your iPod last year."

Penny gawked and asked shrilly, "Why did you do that?"

"Because I can."

I waited for them to fight it out and for Penny to stop inside, promising Sash cruel and unusual punishment as she went, before I talked to Sash again.

"So, _tikaani _means wolf?"

He nodded.

I sighed. "I should've known it was something like that. I mean, you only started calling me that after I told you the legend."

Sash smiled. "That's _exactly_ why I called you that, _tikaani niviasar_."

"Come on, Sash. I only speak English and a little Quileute." I complained.

"Figure it out."

Even though he didn't tell me what he'd called me, I still agreed to ask when he could come down. Esme and Carlisle talked it over for a few minutes, then said he could come over the next day. I called Sash to let him know and the moment I hung the phone up the preparations began. I'd told Sash that Carlisle and Esme were the only adults and everyone else was a teenager or child. The goal was to make it look like fifteen adolescents and children lived in the house and Esme tried hard to keep the place nice.

Bella and Rosalie were in charge of creating three extra rooms, since the younger Cullens couldn't appear to be married. All day I heard them moving around upstairs. Alice drove to a nearby town with a mall with a list of stuff they'd need. Emmett and Jacob were responsible for "trashing" the game room. Jasper was with Carlisle in the study, hiding the items the family had collected over his three-and-a-half centuries that Sash shouldn't see if he happened to look in. Esme, Edward, and I were busy in the kitchen; we had to make it look like we cooked for seventeen people every day.

Seth had the funjob. He and the kids were assigned to all parts of the back yard—building igloos and snowmen, making snow angles, running around and scattering the snow—anything they could do to make the yard look played in. When I went outside to bring the kids lunch, I found they'd not only built two decent forts, but had amassed enough snowballs to win a mega snow war.

The next morning when I awoke, I discovered that sometime during the night, five little werewolves had snuck into my room and were all piled onto my twin-sized bed, their bodies overlapping with each other's and mine.

"Come on, kids. Up an at'em." I said, trying to extract myself from the jumbled mess of fur. The only response I got was a yawn from Neve. "Sash will be here soon." I reminded them. Rame barked excitedly, suddenly wide awake, and sprang off the bed. The others were off as well and racing out of the room.

I chose a light blue long-sleeve t-shirt and jeans, and socks. I pulled my hair up in a loose pony tail then went to help the girls get dressed nicely. Neve had chosen a white tank top and a skirt, forgetting Sash didn't know they never got cold. I got her some gray-blue leggings, a brown skirt, and a dark green turtle neck.

Neve smiled. "I look pretty!"

"That's the point." I told her, then went to help Alba. She didn't need much help, but I had to put a long-sleeve shirt under her the t-shirt she'd chosen. Luna looked pretty in the silver silk top she'd chosen and I helped her chose some sweatpants to match.

Jacob and Seth helped the two boys get ready. Scuro came out dressed in a black shirt and jeans and Rame had on a baggy blue t-shirt and jeans.

Upstairs, Edward and Esme had made the eight of us, plus Renesmee, breakfast—cinnamon rolls, eggs, and pancakes—that we all gulped down eagerly. Bella had clearly wanted Renesmee to make a good impression on Sash, because her hair had been crimped and she had her in a long brown skirt and a yellow blouse.

Sash arrived around noon and, of course, no one bothered to tell me until he was already through the door. Maybe I shouldn't have been blasting my iPod, but _someone _could've come and tapped on the shoulder or something!

Alba yanked my earphone out after he'd been waiting five minutes. "Sash is upstairs!"

I practically flew out of the den and up the basement stairs. Sash was right there in the kitchen, munching on one of the sandwiches we'd made yesterday. I felt my cheeks reddening when he noticed me and waved. Alba giggled and scurried away.

"Well, I see you're making yourself at home." I said with a pointed look at the food he was currently munching on.

"Hey, the kid, Alba, said I could have one." Sash said defensively. "Was I not supposed to?"

I shook my head. "No, it's fine. I was only teasing you."

"They're cute," he told me when I sat down beside him. "The kids, I mean. What's with their hair?"

I stiffened. "What do you mean?"

Sash took another bite and chewed it slowly. "Well, it's just odd. Those two little girls who answered the door are what? Nine years old? How do they have gray and white hair?"

"Oh," I laughed. "We're not sure why. But who are we to question genetics? Maybe it runs in their family."

He grinned. "Wish weird hair ran in my family."

"Speaking of family…" Upstairs, Alice was telling me to introduce him to everyone. "I think my 'sister,' Alice, wants to meet you. Just be careful. She's a bit hyper."

He swallowed the rest of the sandwich. "Do you think they'll like me?" he asked nervously.

I laughed. Bella once told me she'd had the same fears when she'd met the Cullens properly. What was it about the vamps? Of course, she actually knew what they were and he didn't.

"They will, don't worry." I patted his head and hopped down from the stool.

I paused in the living room and looked around. I could hear their heartbeats. I spotted their heads peeking out from behind the couch. "Rame, Scuro. Don't you dare."

"Awwwwww," Scuro whined and he and Rame's heads popped up completely.

"You ruin all the fun." Rame complained but he and Scuro obediently stepped out of their hiding place.

"What were you doing?" I raised one eyebrow.

"We…were gonna scare him." Rame mumbled.

I rolled my eyes. But, I have to admit, they gave me a reason to call down the family.

"Esme!" I called up the stairs. "The boys were going to ambush Sash!"

"Rame! Scuro!" Esme shouted. "How many times have I told you two to not do that?"

"A lot," Rame mumbled.

Esme appeared at the top of the stairs, her heart shaped face was disapproving until she saw Sash and it brightened. "Hello, Sash. I'm sorry about them."

Sash smiled. "No problem. I was a little kid once."

"Is that him?" Rosalie peeked around the corner at the top of the staircase. She smiled and retreated calling for Emmet who was, apparently, pretending to be asleep.

"Hi Sash!" Alice leapt around Esme and skipped down the stairs towards Sash.

"Slow down, Alice." Jasper said affectionately, following her.

_Perfect!_ I think. They've been doing it for so long that they've effortlessly made the switch to human mode. If I hadn't known better, I would've thought it wasn't an act.

Alice skipped through the living room and hugged Sash. "Hello, Sash!" She sang.

Sash blinked, stunned by the hyper little vampire, and didn't hug her back. Alice didn't seem to mind and she danced back gracefully. "I'm Alice! We're going to be good friends." She said it with such certainty that even if I didn't know she could see the future I would've believed her.

"And this is Jasper," Alice added when her blond mate came up behind her. Jasper extended his hand politely. I noticed with immense relief that he didn't seem to be having trouble being so close to Sash.

Sash shook it. "Nice to meet you both."

"Welcome to our home." Carlisle was standing beside Esme now.

"_Qujannamiik—_thank you."

Carlisle smiled then spewed out a few words. To me it was just a jumble of sounds thrown together, kind of like Quileute. But Sash understood every word. "You didn't miss a beat."

Carlisle smiled.

Emmett and Rosalie appeared then. Sash reacted how I'd expected: his eyes widened and his heart rate sped up at the sight of Rosalie's beautiful face and Emmett's bear-like form.

Emmett yawned loudly then smiled. "Sup?"

Sash relaxed. "Nothing much. You?"

"Eh, I just got woke up from a nap by my girlfriend. I'm great." Emmet said.

"Uncle Emmett is sleepy." Renesmee laughed. Yesterday they'd discussed it and Renesmee had to pretend she had the mentality of an eight year old, which meant no really intelligent sentences. She was in Bella's arms as she descended the stairs, followed closely by Edward who thumped Emmett on the back.

"Momma, is that Sash?" Renesmee pointed at him and Bella nodded. "His eyes are kind of funny-looking."

While everyone laughed, I noticed Sash watching Bella and Renesmee curiously. Edward gave him a dark look before composing himself. "Hello, Sash. I'm Edward. This is my wife, Bella, and our daughter Renesmee."

Renesmee waved and Sash's eyes widened. Before he could say anything, Jacob and Seth announced themselves with two indignant shouts.

"Why didn't you tell us he showed up?" Jacob snapped at Edward. Edward shrugged.

Seth punched Sash lightly on the arm. "Sup, dude. Long time no see, eh? I though Leah would never bring you around."

Sash grinned lazily. "I guess we're both procrastinators."

I smiled guiltily.

Esme told Sash to help himself to the food. After everyone but the Cullens, excluding Renesmee, had eaten their full, everyone but Sash and I decided to go outside.

I gave Sash the grand tour of the large cabin that was my home. I pointed out the vampire's rooms individually and let him peek into the ones that were open. He took great interest in the game room and flipped out when he saw we had not only more than half of the games in existence, but every game system that existed: from a game cube to a Nintendo 64 to the X-box 360. I almost considered calling Emmett up so they could have a little competition, but decided against it. Emmett would undoubtedly use his vampire skills to win.

I showed him the school room where the kids and supposedly several of the Cullen kids were home schooled by Esme. The last place I took him was the basement. He was confused to see that the dream catcher was on the door.

"Why isn't it over your bed?"

"Because, if it's here, then it can protect me as well as Jake, Seth, Alba, Neve, Scuro, Rame, and Luna." I said simply.

I showed him my room and let him peer into the kid's rooms and my brother's and Jake's. He liked how we'd painted the downstairs to resemble the forest outside. He was especially intrigued by the wolves we'd painted onto the walls of the den. There was me in my wolf form standing proudly near the five kids, also in their fur, with Jacob and Seth on my other side. Further away were the ten other members of the Quileute wolves. Sam in the front, Paul and Jared behind him, and so on—Quil and Embry stood halfway in between the two groups.

I smiled and ran my fingers along the picture of me. Sash must've seen something in my face because he didn't speak for a few minutes after that.

"Leah?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to go outside?"

"Sure."

When we got out there we found both forts engaged in a fierce battle that I don't think was staged. "Hold your fire!" I hollered to Sash and I could scramble into the fort with Jacob and Seth and the kids. On the other side were the vampires. Ah, vampires vs. wolves. Let the battle begin.

It was a good thing there was so much snow being flung everywhere because the vampires weren't using human speed and Sash might've noticed. Of course, we weren't exactly using human strength or speed either, but if Sash noticed then Edward would've alerted us. There was a point where I wanted to phase and romp around like a pup, but I restrained myself. When the battle finally ended (it was a draw because neither side was prepared to surrender, but Sash was getting tired and we had to pretend to be tired too) we went inside and Esme made hot chocolate. While we gulped down quarts of the stuff, the Cullens pretended to slurp down the contents of their empty cups.

Rosalie and Jacob hauled Sash out to the garage then leaving me to everyone else.

"Oh he's so wonderful, Leah!" Bella told me. "I don't think you could've picked any better."

I smiled. At least she was sincere.

After fifteen minutes, I decided I'd been robbed of my companion for too long and I sent Neve to fetch him. When he came back with my white-haired daughter he looked troubled. Edward swore under his breath and glanced sharply at me. "Trouble, Leah." He said, too quickly for Sash's ears to make sense of. I barely caught it myself.

Not three seconds afterwards, Sash was muttering in my ear. "Can I talk to you for a sec, Tikaani?"

I nodded and guided him down to the den in the basement. I sat down on the sofa and he sat in the chair across from me. I had a bad feeling about this.

"What's up?" I asked.

"The little girl who came to get me—what's her name?"

"Neve," I said promptly.

He stared at me. "No, Leah, what's her _full _name?"

I swallowed. "Neve…Clearwater."

He nodded slowly. "She said 'mama wants you.' And I asked her what Esme wanted and she shook her head and said, 'Leah wants you.'"

My mouth fell open in horror. _Neve! Damn it!_

Sash sighed, his suspicions confirmed. "Now, why don't you tell me the truth, Leah? How old are you really?"

"Twenty." I said, which wasn't exactly a lie.

"So you got pregnant at eleven?" His words expressed the disgust his face couldn't.

"No!" I gasped. "No, of course not!"

"Then how do you have five _nine-year-old_ children?" He challenged.

I sighed. "It's very simple, Sash. I adopted them. Seth found them on the streets a few years ago and he brought them to me to take care of since, at the time, we thought I was incapable of having kids. Long story. Anyway, Carlisle and Esme took care of the legal stuff and even though Esme is their legal guardian, they still took on my name and I'm mama to them."

"He believes you." Edward murmured. "He just wants to know why you didn't tell him."

"And I didn't tell you before because I knew you would react like this. I didn't want you to think I was some dumb whore that got knocked up as a kid." I folded my arms.

Sash watched me for a few seconds, his expression unreadable, then he smiled gently. "No matter what you did, Leah, I'd never think that about you. You're just…you're just not that kind of person."

I fought back a tear that threatened to escape. "Thank you."

Sash sighed. "There's something else. You mentioned it before. Your mother's alive, but your father's dead."

"Yes."

"So, why aren't you living with her?"

"The children," I said. "Carlisle and Esme are their legal guardians but they treat me like their mother. So, when the Cullens relocated here, I decided to go with them. And Seth and Jacob came because they thought it'd be fun and our families are old friends with the Cullens." Well, _that_ was a lie.

Minutes later, he received a call from his own mother telling him to come home. Everyone crowded the windows to see him to, except for me. I followed him out to the car and gave him a hug. Aware of the audience, he didn't kiss me though I could imagine he probably wanted to. Then he climbed into his car. I wasn't sure of the model, but it looked old.

I watched his car move down the drive and out of sight. Then as I turned around I noticed a flash of color out of the corner of my eye. I turned and there was Fango. Only, it wasn't Fango, not as I'd seen him in my dreams. He was there, only he wasn't there, like a faint holographic projection. But the look of horror in his green eyes was unmistakable.

_Follow him! Run! Follow him!_

I didn't even think. I turned and sprinted into the woods, only barely able to keep myself in my skin as I ran. Something was wrong. Something was really, _really_ wrong if Fango had broken the barrier between life and death to get a message to me. I had to get to Sash. That's what kept me in my skin. Sash knew me as a human, not a wolf.

It didn't take long to find him. Just five miles away from the house on the highway, he was pulled over to the side of the road, dangerously close to the forest, with his lights flashing. I lurked in the shadows, waiting. I could see him sticking out from behind the hood. I swallowed nervously, but didn't go out. How would I explain myself? I just watched and waited.

Then I realized the danger. And it came in the form of a handsome man with light brown hair, perfect white skin, and dark black eyes.


	25. Attack

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

I tensed up and the air whooshed out of my mouth. But the vampire was too intent on his prey to notice. If I revealed myself as a human there would be too many questions. If I went out as a wolf and the vampire escaped he might spread tales of werewolves in Alaska. _Run! _I thought.

The vampires was casually dressed in pants, boots, and a light parka, nothing that would make him seem out of place, except for the fact that he was taking a stroll in the dark down an empty Alaskan road.

"Need some help?" He asked Sash.

Sash jumped and whirled, throwing his wrench with superb accuracy. The vampire caught it with ease and smiled pleasantly. He tossed it back to Sash who caught it and muttered a thank you then went back to working on his car.

"You shouldn't be out here in the cold. You'll freeze." I'd heard about vampires like this. Vampires that liked to play with their food before eating it.

"I—I know," Sash stuttered. "That's why I'm trying to fix it. Want to lend a hand?"

The vampire smiled. "No, I don't think I do."

Sash gave him a look. "Well, you're not getting a ride from me, if that's what you're wanting." I thought I saw his hand inching towards his pocket where I knew he kept a pocket knife.

"I don't want your car." The vampire said and then he leaned forward and sniffed. "You have a lot of strange scents on you. Are you someone's pet?"

Sash bristled indignantly. "I'm no one's pet. Now, get out of here." He pulled out his knife warningly.

"Not a pet?" the vampire said. "Good. Then no one will mind if I kill you." The vampire took a step forward and Sash took an automatic step back.

The vampire took another step and Sash threw the blade at him. It rebounded off the vampire's skin and he didn't even flinch.

"What the hell are you?" Sash asked quietly.

"The last thing you'll ever see." The vampire said and smiled. Sash gasped and backed away quickly now. The vampire's dangerous smile grew wider. Sash let out a terrified yell as the vampire moved closer, too fast for his human eyes to catch. The noise snapped me out of my frozen state and I burst from the trees just as the vampire closed in.

"Get away from him!" I screamed as I sprinted towards them, faster than a human could go.

I saw Sash's eyes lock onto me. Before he could identify me, I broke free from my skin. My paws hit the ground and propelled me forward. With a feral snarl, I lunged at the vampire. My transformation had stunned him for only a moment. By the time I crashed into him he had collected himself and was ready to fight.

"Moon Child," he spat.

I silently willed Sash to run so he wouldn't be hurt. That's when I realized I wasn't alone in the mind link. The others were in wolf form; they'd been searching for me since I bolted. I managed to show them what was going on before I jumped and he vampire punched me away. With a yelp, I landed in a heap. I sprang up, ignoring the pain, and charged. I tried to get my teeth into his arm but he moved aside at the last second.

I risked a glance to watch Sash flee into the woods. The vampire grabbed my leg and twisted it, tossing me away. I howled in agony. I sprang back at the vampire and sank my teeth into him, lifting him off his feet, and shook him like a rag doll. He flew from my jaws, but hunk from his torso still remained in my teeth. The vampire screamed with pain.

Another vampire appeared, quite literally, out of nowhere. I heard her scream the other's name, Richie or something like that, as she charged at me.

"Lillian!" The vampire spat. "Get the human. I've got this bitch."

I managed to remove part of his lower leg before I jumped away the fight and ran towards the woods, pursing the female who was pursing Sash. He was running as fast as he could but it had taken her seconds to reach him. She grabbed him and he let out a yelp of terror. I snarled and she turned around to face me. Her hands were around his throat. If she squeezed just a bit she could turn his bones to dust. We were at a stalemate and her companion would be coming soon. I snarled in frustration.

"You want this boy, little werewolf?" she asked. I snarled, baring my teeth and the vampire laughed. It wasn't an unpleasant sound, but it made me want to rip and kill. "You are quite a lucky thing, you know. How did you escape the extermination?"

I took a step forward and the vampire, Lillian, shook her head. "Uh uh." I took a few deep breaths then snarled at her. Sash was crying, his eyes squeezed shut. A red haze was forming in front of my eyes. Kill. Kill her. Protect him. Kill her. Simple. Protect pack mate. Kill enemy.

"Tell you what, sweetie." Lillian said. "You walk away right now; don't put up a fight, don't attack us; and we will leave you alone, too. We won't tell anyone there are still werewolves alive. You live, we live, everyone's happy."

For a moment, my resolve wavered. It…would best for the pups…But then Sash whimpered and I growled. No. They would tell. No compromising with vampires. Kill her. Protect him. From behind me I heard enraged snarling. I risked a glance backward and saw my pack fast approaching and the male vampire was fleeing from them.

_Don't! _I thought. _She'll kill him!_

But they already had him. Jacob's teeth were on the male's shoulder and the pups were swarming on him while Seth was sprinting towards the female. I turned back to the female. She seemed stunned by the appearance of so many werewolves. I saw her grip slacken. Seth whizzed past me, human formed, and pushed the female away from Sash who fell forward into the snow. Eyes only partially open he crawled away from the fighting and huddled down beside a tree.

Seth did a back flip as he jumped away from the vampire, morphing mid-turn. He landed as a wolf and snarled. Without a hostage, she had nothing to keep us at bay. She made a lunge for Sash but I snapped my jaws over her outstretched arms and yanked. Seth grabbed onto her legs and, ripping and tearing, we tore her to bits as she screamed and shrieked until I silenced her by removing her head.

_Scuro! There is a hunk of the male by the road. Get it! _I ordered. _Rame, go with him. There should be a case of matches in Sash's car. The rest of you, get these pieces into a pile._

The boys nodded and raced away.

_Kids, make sure every piece is in the pile._ Jacob barked.

_Piece of what?_ Luna asked.

_Of the vampire, dummy! _Neve snapped.

Luna flattened her ears. _But…but…why? _

Jacob and I fixed her with such cold looks that she shrank back with her tail between her legs.

_Don't you remember what we taught you?_ Jacob growled, showing his teeth._ Only a handful of vampires are friends to humans. The rest of them drink human blood to survive. Why do you think these vampires were after Sash? Did you think they were inviting him to a party?_

Luna's head was bowed and she whined once. _I…I didn't know!_

I took a step towards Sash and then whimpered as pain registered in my paw. I'd forgotten all about the injury. Seth ducked his head and nosed my paw. I winced, hissing through my clenched teeth. He licked it once.

_Probably broken._ He thought. _Just give it a few minutes._

_Thank you for that prognosis, Seth._ I thought irritably. _Perhaps you should become a vet._

He shot me a dirty look. _Well excuse me for being concerned. _

_Mama,_ Alba said._ Is Sash alright?_

I turned my head. She was standing a few feet from Sash who was curled up in the fetal position next to the tree. His eyes were open and he was staring at us, me and Seth in particular. I took a step toward him and he flinched back. I put my paw back down and whined. Poor, poor Sash.

_Got it! _Scuro came trotting back with the hunk of torso I'd ripped held gingerly in his teeth. He tossed it into the pile.

_Girls, collect twigs and put them on the pile. We're going to burn the vampire._ Jacob said as Rame returned with the box of matches clamped between his jaws.

While everyone else did as they were told, I slowly made my way towards Sash. His terrified eyes never left my calm ones. Would he recognize my eyes? Or, more importantly, would he somehow recognize _me?_ I wondered how he would respond if he knew. I think, deep down, he knew. He called me Tikaani, after all. He called me a wolf. He knew I was just one of many in the bloodline that, according to legend, granted the ability of wolf-shape-shifting. Would he recognize my beauty? Or…or would he see a monster…?

_I think he'll understand, Leah._ Jacob had come to stand by my shoulder as we stared down at Sash, only feet from him. _Most imprints do. Think about Kim and Emily. Think about Rachel. They handled it well. If you and Sash really are soul mates, he'll see it's still you. No matter what shape you're in._

I bumped his head with my muzzle. _Thanks, Jake._

Behind us, the others started a fire. The kids had gathered under our feet and Seth walked over and stood on the other side of Jacob. The left side. I was on the right. I leaned away from Jacob and stood tall. We all stared at Sash and he stared back.

"It's you." He said.

_What's he mean? _Scuro asked.

_I don't know_. I thought anxiously.

"You're…you're those wolves…on their wall." He said quietly. "Thank you." He said.

Then Jacob lifted his head and howled. I did too, then Seth, then the kids. When we were done, we kicked snow over the pyre to put out the fire and cover the ashes. Then I turned my attention back to Sash.

_What should we do?_ Seth asked.

_I'll keep Sash safe for the night._ I said. _You guys get the kids back home and tell the Cullens where to find the leeches._

_No! _Neve shouted. _No! Mama! No, Mama, you have to come home! _

_We're not leaving you out here! _Rame added.

_I'll be fine, children. _I soothed. _Don't worry. I've been on my own before. Just go home with your uncles and I'll be back tomorrow, alright?_

A chorus of puppy howls said they did not agree. Sash's breathing increased.

_Kids, I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. Go home. _

_Come on._ Jacob ordered.

Grumbling mutinously, they did so. I waited patiently for them to make the journey home and simply stared at Sash. He stared back. When their minds faded out of the link, I stood up and walked towards Sash. He swallowed loudly. I stopped and cocked my head to the side innocently.

"You're not going to eat me, right?" he whispered.

_The thought!_ I snorted and shook my head. Oops.

Sash looked ready to pass out. "Y-y-you…c-c-c-c-can…un-un-understand m-me?" he stuttered.

_What the hell_, I figured. I'd pretty much blown away any chance of being a dumb animal. So, I nodded and woofed softly. His eyes widened with terror.

"You're one of those wolves, aren't you?" He asked quietly. "One of those monster wolves in the forest near my home. …Werewolf?"

I shrugged my shoulders. _Not really, but I'm like them._

"Werewolf." He repeated then swallowed once and sat down on a root that was sticking around of the ground. He shivered and his teeth began to chatter.

I whined uneasily and walked towards him. His dark eyes watched me warily and he didn't move until I was in front of him. I titled my head and leaned forward to sniff him. He had a very…woodsy scent mixed with the freshness of snow and the stench of fear. He reached a tentative hand forward and gently patted my head. I closed my eyes and wagged my tail.

"You're very warm," he murmured. "I'm freezing."

I opened my eyes and pressed my nose to his chest again. Then I lifted my paw and gently pushed him off the root. He landed with a light thud in the snow and grunted in protest. I laid down in the snow and patted the patch of melting snow in front of me with my paw. He must've been surprised, but he scrambled over anyway and sat down beside me. He kept his eyes locked onto mine as he carefully leaned against my side and sighed with relief, his eyes closing, when he felt the warmth of my fur. I fluffed up my tail and draped it over him.

He smiled strangely. "Thanks…um…boy."

I growled indignantly and flattened my ears. He laughed. "Sorry. Thanks, _girl._"

I snorted and rested my head on my paws. He sighed and patted my flank that was slowly rising and falling as I breathed.

"So I heard right?" Sash asked at one point.

I grunted in response. _About what?_

He hesitated then went on. "I heard a woman scream before I saw you attack that…thing."

I heaved a sigh and nodded.

"Was that you?" I nodded again. "How?"

I opened and closed my mouth a few times.

He laughed breathlessly…almost hysterically. "You were a human?"

_Oh, what the hell? _I thought and nodded.

"You sounded like my girlfriend."

My ears perked up. So he thought of me as his girlfriend, huh? I didn't really have a problem with that. I just wondered how he'd respond when he found out I was the wolf.

"You remind me of her." He went on. "Not just the voice. You both have very warm skin. And her eyes are like—" he trailed off.

Sash leaned towards my face and our gazes locked. He stared deep into my eyes, through them, to the depths of my soul. I waited and resisted the urge to whine uneasily.

"Leah?" He whispered. He sounded like he almost didn't want to know. "Is…is…are you…is it you?"

I lifted my head so our heads were the same height. I stared intently at him for a long moment…

Then I shook my head.

* * *

**Oh, for those of you sending me story links, I will not read them if they aren't Twilight, Hunger Games, Warriors, Final Fantasy VII, IX, X, or X-2, and Harry Potter. But even then, make sure the couples (if any) aren't drastically off-cannon. Meaning, I'm not readin a HermionexDraco (Wtf, srsly?) BellaxJasper or (again, wtf?) **


	26. Truth and Lies

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

The next morning had to be very carefully planned.

Sash had accepted my lie with obvious relief and had dozed off not long after. I remained there, keeping him alive and comfortable with my body heat. I stayed awake to watch for any other vampires that might've been lurking in the area.

An hour later, Jacob and Seth entered the mindlink so we could discuss how to fix what we'd done. Luck was on our side. Sash's mother called around nine-thirty to see if Sash was still there. He wasn't answering his cell phone. Esme explained that as Sash was getting ready to leave, Rame and Scuro had begged and pleaded for him to stay for a while longer so they could finish a game. And since it's impossible to resist those kinds of pleas, he'd decided to stay but by the time the game was done it was too dark and Esme had refused to let him go. When his mother asked to talk to him, Esme said he was asleep but she'd let him know he was grounded when he got home.

Well, that was very smart thinking on Esme's part. There was just one small problem. He was in the middle of the forest after surviving a traumatizing vampire attack with a werewolf keeping him warm**.**

_If we get out of this one then it'll be a miracle._ I told Jake dryly.

I didn't want to be there when Sash woke up. Not as a wolf, anyway. I couldn't see a way out of it, though. I couldn't just abandon him there and even if I left a trail to his car, he could simply follow the rest of my tracks back home.

Edward called the family together and told our thoughts to them as we carefully planned our next move. Rosalie came up with the only believable plan and we went with that.

Since Seth was closest to my size, he walked the six from the house to us as a human, in a pair of my shoes, with some clothes for me. We gently put Sash on the ground. I phased back and quickly dressed. Then Seth phased and ran into the woods, away from the main road, and I stayed with Sash.

Once I couldn't hear Seth anymore, I crouched down beside Sash.

"Sash?"

Nothing.

"Sash?"

A quiet grunt.

"Sash!"

He grunted a bit louder but still didn't open his eyes. Damn. And I thought Jacob was hard to wake up.

"Alexander Dawson, wake up!" I ordered sharply.

"G'way, Penny…" he mumbled.

"Sash, wake up!"

His eyes fluttered open and he stared. He blinked rapidly for a second then he croaked out a word in his language. Judging by the way he said it and how he practically jumped up, I guessed it wasn't polite.

"You…the werewolf…" He gasped.

I tilted my head innocently. "What? Oh, you mean that wolf?"

I pointed to the tracks Seth had left. Sash's head snapped over to look at them. He took a few deep breaths then swallowed. "She's…gone?" he asked slowly.

I nodded. "She left when I showed up." I smiled sweetly. "She knew you were in good hands."

He leaned forward and put his head in his hands. "God…I had the strangest night…"

"Yeah, about that." I folded my arms. "Care to tell me what the hell happened here?"

He chuckled. "You wouldn't believe me."

"Sash. A werewolf came to our door last night and told us that we had to come find you." I glared. "Start talking."

There was a funny look in his eyes for a second, then he nodded. "Alright, I was attacked by a guy with black eyes who tried to kill me. Then this giant grey wolf showed up and started to fight him. Then a woman showed up and when I was running away she grabbed me and was holding and saying things to the wolf. She called her a werewolf." He glanced at me.

I nodded.

"And then a whole pack of them showed up. They…saved me and killed those things. Then they left and the gray wolf stayed behind. She…kept me warm."

I laughed quietly and shook my head.

"You don't believe me." He scowled.

"No," I reassured him. "I believe you. I'm just amazed they helped you. I mean, after all…you've shot at one of their kind before." I gave him a hard, pointed look.

He gulped. "I know. Was that why you reacted badly when I told you about them before?"

I nodded. "You know, the russet wolf, the alpha, saved my life once. From someone like the duo that attacked you last night."

Sash gasped. "What are they?"

I shrug. "Our legends call them the Cold Ones. Blood-sucking demons from hell."

He shivered and I gasped. "Oh, you're freezing!" I pulled out my phone and dialed Carlisle's number.

"Carlisle, I found him." I said into the phone. "Follow my tracks and hurry. He's cold."

"_Alright, Leah," _Carlisle said. _"Has he believed you?"_

"Yep."

"_Ok, good. We're on our way. Keep him warm_."

"Roger that." I snapped the phone shut and shoved it back in my pocket. "Carlisle's coming. We're going to get you home, alright? Scoot over here. I can keep you warm."

Shivering, he crawled over to the spot where I sat in between some tree roots. I put my arm over his shoulders and shuffled closer to him then rested my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around my waist. I hesitated for a second, then I shifted so I was curled up in a ball next to him.

"H-how did you find me?" Sash asked softly.

"The werewolf told us where your car was." I said. "I followed your tracks."

"I'm glad you did." He smiled.

I look at him blankly. "Glad I did what?"

"I'm…glad you found me." He said slowly.

"No." I said flatly. "I didn't find you. Esme did. She was driving up to Fairbanks and she spotted your car, on the side of the road. You'd broken down and had no cell service. You were freezing cold. She called Carlisle. By the time Carlisle came with Emmett, Rosalie, Jacob, and I you were awake. Carlisle examined you and Jacob and Rose fixed your car."

Sash stared at my face for a few moments, his eyes searching mine, then finally he nodded. I let my hard expression drop and I smile.

"What happened to the wolf?" He asked softly.

"She was sleeping around you but she woke up when I got closer. I told her I would take care of you, thanked her for keeping you safe, and then she left."

"You knew about them." He said. "The werewolves. You knew they were around here."

I nodded. "Yes, I knew."

"_How_, though?"

I hesitated and then shook my head. "I can't tell you that. I'm sorry, Sash."

"I…understand. You know, it's funny." Sash laughed and I looked up to see him smiling down at me.

"What?"

"She reminded me of you."

"Who?"

"The wolf who helped me. I even asked her if she was you."

"Her name is Kemli." I said. It was the werewolf name Noami had given me while I was at the Lake. What better time to use it than now? I smiled. "Why'd you think that?"

"Just some similarities I noticed. Before she attacked she screamed and sounded like your voice. And just the way she walked. There was a…confident swagger there. You have it too. Your eyes are the same. And, well, because you told me your ancestors could become wolves. I can see you as a gray wolf."

My smile turned shy. "Why?"

"Remember how you told me the fur colors were chosen? Well, you wouldn't be white. White is too…sweet and innocent."

I scowled and he quickly explained.

"You're too…cunning and sneaky and devious." He teased and I smiled proudly. "But you're too good to be black. A black wolf would be dark and…oh, what's a good word for it? Astute. Gray is in between, neither good nor bad, but a mixture of both."

I bit the inside of my lip. I'd never thought about it that way before. The legend said our wolves were who we were on the inside. I could see how my wolf ended up being gray.

"The horns are holding up the halo." I joked.

He laughed.

"Anything else?" I asked.

Sash nodded. "Yeah, there was one other thing."

"What?"

"You're both very pretty."

"So, you've got your eyes on a werewolf, eh?" I teased and looked towards the wolf tracks again.

Sash put his hand under my chin and turned my face back to his. He shook his head. "No. Besides, you're prettier and you're my species."

_No I'm not. _I laughed and fixed his parka. "Any warmer?"

"Well, my face is awful cold…"

"Sorry I didn't bring a scarf—mmff!"

He kissed me.

I froze and memories flashed through my head. The first time Sam had kissed me…and the last. Sash put his hand on my cheek and ended all thoughts I had of my old boyfriend. He didn't pull back even though I hadn't moved yet, but he didn't try to force me to do anything. That was…sweet; giving me a chance to refuse if I wanted to.

_Do I want this?_ I wondered. I liked him, yeah. I liked him a put his other hand on my cheek and I made up my mind. I kissed him back, sliding my hand up his arm and into his hair. Boy wasn't a bad kisser—

"Leah? Sash?"

Sash jerked back in surprise and hit his head on the tree trunk. He muttered darkly while he rubbed his head and I took a deep breath to calm myself then called out to Carlisle.

"We're over here!"

Sash looked down at me and I could see a nice blush on his cheeks.

"Are you warmer now?" I teased, slightly breathless.

He grinned impishly. "Yes, ma'am."

"Leah!" Bella shouted and she made her footsteps noisy.

"Bella?" I stood up and leaned around the tree.

The four vampires were running towards us at human speeds. Carlisle had a knapsack with him, Emmett had a rolled up sleeping back, and Bella had a thermos.

"The Calvary is here," I told Sash who leaned around to see his full rescue party.

"Hey guys," He said.

Carlisle knelt down beside Sash and pressed two fingers to the pulse point on his wrist, then checked his forehead. He opened his knapsack which had medical supplies in it. He pulled out a flashlight and checked Sash's eyes then had him follow Carlisle's finger with his eyes.

"Really, doc, I'm fine." Sash said.

"You're not fine until I say you are." Carlisle replied. "Bella, give him the soup."

"Chicken noodle broth," Bella said, holding out the thermos.

Sash took it and unscrewed the lid. He sniffed it then he was chugging it down. "Take it easy," Carlisle warned and he slowed just a bit.

"He kissed you?" Bella asked to quickly for Sash to hear. I nodded.

Sash gave a hearty sigh when it was empty and handed it back to Bella. "Thanks, Bella."

I jerked my head toward Sash. "I think we should get him home, don't you?"

Carlisle took the sleeping bag from Emmett and unzipped the top. "We're going to carry you, alright?"

"I can walk." Sash protested weakly.

"Yes, I'm sure you can, but you're not going to." Carlisle said. "You've come a long way and you've been outside all night."

Sash sighed, but didn't protest when I helped him crawl into the sleeping bag. Carlisle and Emmett picked him up and carried him away. Bella zipped up Carlisle's bag and slung it over her shoulder. She and I walked a few yards behind them. Sash didn't seem to notice that we were going a little faster than humans should be able to. That was good. He couldn't handle much more. When we got to the main road, I found Jacob, Seth, Edward, Esme, and Jasper waiting. Carlisle's Mercedes and Emmett's jeep were parked next to Sash's car.

"Where are the kids?" I asked.

"Rosalie and Alice are watching them." Esme said.

"Alright, Sash goes in my car. Leah, Esme, you'll ride with me. Jacob, you drive Sash's car behind us. The rest of you can head home."

I climbed in the backseat first then Emmett and Carlisle gently handed Sash into me. I leaned against the far door and let him rest on my chest. He laid his head back on my shoulder and I patted his arm. He looked very drowsy.

"'m tired," he murmured. "I didn't sleep that good last night."

Really? I thought he'd been sleeping soundly. "Then go to sleep." I said gently. He yawned and was asleep before Carlisle started the car.

Since Sash was unconscious, Carlisle was able to speed along the highway. Sash would've gone into shock if he saw how fast we were going. When we were half way there, Esme gave Sash's mother a call.

"Yes, yes he was broken down…no cell service…no…no don't worry, he's fine…yes, yes I'm completely sure…Carlisle looked at him…ok. Carlisle," she handed him the phone.

"This is Dr. Cullen." Carlisle said formally. "Yes. I've examined him myself. He was cold, yes…no…no frostbite. He's in the backseat right now. No," he laughed. "No, he's sleeping. Don't worry, Mrs. Dawson, Leah's with him. She hasn't left his side since she got to him. …Yes…yes I hope so. She seems happier—"

I tuned the rest out and stared out the opposite window thinking about earlier while my hand gently rubbed Sash's arm.

He'd kissed me. I didn't have a problem with it, really. It was just a little odd. Usually, a boy waits for a perfect moment to kiss the girl for the first time. But, we're both a little odd and after nearly dying, I guess one's priorities get rearranged. Poor guy.

"Leah, what exactly did you tell him?" Carlisle asked.

"I told him we knew the werewolves." I said. "And I said I couldn't tell him why."

"And he believed you?" Esme asked sharply.

"I think so."

When we drove into Chelon, I gently shook him awake. "We're almost to your house."

His eyes opened and he blinked.

"Turn right down this road," I told Carlisle. "It's the farthest house."

Sash yawned and smiled at me. "Thanks."

"Are you warm enough?" I asked softly.

He nodded. "Well…"

"If your face is cold then you'll just have to suffer." I winked and pointed to Esme and Carlisle with my thumb.

I heard a yelp outside the car. I peered out the window and saw Sash's family, his group of friends, plus some other people I'd never seen before, crowded in the yard. Cassidy Tate and Penny were standing near Sash's mother. It was almost funny at the amount of people that had gathered just because Sash'd been hurt.

Carlisle shut off the car and he got out and opened the door I was sitting by. Esme went to talk to Sash's mother while Carlisle, Sash's Uncle Lewis, and one of his friends came over to collect Sash.

He smiled up at them. "Hi, guys."

"Alexander Richard Dawson!" His uncle growled. "Don't you ever do that again, boy! I told you to always keep a heating blanket and extra clothes in your trunk!"

Sash blushed. "Uncle…c'mon…."

I pressed my lips together and fought the urge to giggle. I helped Sash out of the sleeping bag then climbed out of the car so the guys could help him out. I closed the car door and followed them into the house. Cassidy walked over and hugged me.

"Introductions," the blonde said immediately. "The redhead guy is Kris and the blonde is Tim. Kristy has the dark brown hair and Elena is blond like me. You already know who Sash lives with."

"Who're the rest?"

"Well, the big dude over there is Sash's cousin, Mike and the woman next to him is Sash's aunt Julie. And the two old people are Sash's grandparents." Then she frowned and added, "They don't like Doctor and Missus Cullen. Look."

She pointed at the two elderly people. The man was probably very handsome once and his build suggested he'd worked a lot in his life. The woman had a frailer build, but her strong shoulders showed she'd known hard times too. Their faces were wrinkled an ancient, making them look older than they probably were. Their dark eyes were wide and horrified as the stared at the Cullens I'd come with.

I felt my heart beat speed up. I knew that look. I saw it seven years ago on my Dad. I was sixteen, almost seventeen.

_Dad and I were in the living room busy with a very intense game of chess that I was several moves away from winning, when our front door burst open and in came Quil Ateara Senior, trembling and terrified. Dad jumped up and ran over to his friend and put his arm around him for support. I jumped up from the couch so he could sit. _

"_Did you hear?" Quil rasped. He gave my Dad's arm a shake. There was a terrified look in his eyes. I'd never seen him look so scared before._

"_What's happened?"Dad asked, alarmed._

_The old man took a deep breath and whispered. "I called up to the Forks hospital to see how Ruby's son was doing…and they told me _Dr. Cullen_ was taking very good care of him."_

_Dad's face had gone blank for a second, then pure horror and terror covered his features. Shock, disbelief, fear, knowing, and worry._

"_Leah…go…to your room…" Dad said slowly. Normally, I would've objected to being treated like a child, but I'd never seen Dad like that so I nodded._

"_Nice to see you, Mr. Ateara." I said._

"_You too, Leah." He rasped._

_I didn't go to my room, though. I stomped on the first stair then gradually made them softer. Then I crept back down the hall and darted into the kitchen. I crouched behind the cabinet and listened._

"—_you sure it was Carlisle Cullen?"Dad was asking Old Quil._

"_Yes, I used his full name, too. Oh…God…what are we going to do?"_

"_We'll just have to wait until it happens." Dad said somewhat sadly. "Who do you think it will be this time?"  
_

"_Sam, Jacob, and Quil, obviously." Mr. Ateara's voice was pained when he mentioned his grandson. "And Jared and Paul might be candidates. I'd keep an eye on Seth, too, if I were you."  
_

We never did finish the chess game. That was the first time I'd ever heard about the future werewolf pack. If only I'd known…. And of course no one ever worried that I would make the change. I was a girl, after all.

But that look, the look Dad had when Carlisle had been mentioned; I was seeing that same look on Sash's grandparents. Esme smiled at them and waved. The moment she looked away, Sash's grandmother crossed herself. I gasped and a cold feeling settled in my chest. They knew.


	27. Snitch

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

I swallowed and turned to face Jacob who was climbing out of the car. Something on my face must have alarmed him because he hurried to my side. "What is it?" He asked sharply.

I glanced at Cassidy and bit my lip.

"Can you give us a minute?" Jacob asked her politely.

Cassidy nodded and walked away, leaving us alone outside, except for the elderly couple who were now staring at us apprehensively. They were unsure what to make of us. Our eyes were black like a thirsty vampire's, but our skin was rich and copper-toned, no hint of the pale complexion vampires had.

"They know," I whispered to Jacob. "They know what Carlisle and Esme are." Jacob stiffened and a low growl rumbled in his chest. "But they don't know what we are," I added quickly. "Look, they have no idea what to make of us."

They were studying us with cold fear. I swallowed but Jacob and I met their gazes challengingly. _Come on. Say what you're thinking. Come call us monsters. _They didn't come over, though.

"Leah?" Sash's other aunt, Julie, opened the door. "Leah? Sash is asking for you."

"Come on," I hissed to Jacob then ran towards the house. I flashed the elderly couple a defiant, angry look as I ran then smiled happily for Julie.

Julie looked a lot like Penny. They had to same walnut-shaped eyes and the same smooth nose. Her dark hair fell loosely around her small shoulders. It was strange how someone who shared Sash's bloodline could look so _human_ whereas he looked capable of being so much more. And, when Julie left me to talk to Penny, I realized Sash's sister did, too.

That brought me up short. How _did _Sash's grandparents recognize Carlisle and Esme? Sash had told me his tribe's legend about wolves, but did they also have one about Cold Ones?

Sash was in his bedroom with Cassidy, Elena, Kris, Kristy, and Tim. My boyfriend was propped up against the headboard of his old wooden bed, tucked under a large quilt. Tim and Elena were lounging on the floor, Kristy and Kris were lounging on the same beanbag chair, and Cassidy was perched almost daintily on a desk chair, right in front of a computer.

I wanted to dismantle the thing, but that wouldn't have looked right. Besides, then my mind registered how Cassidy was sitting and I laughed out loud.

"What?" Cassidy asked, slightly miffed.

Straight back, nice form, long blond hair, angelic face and wispy, melodic voice. "You look like a mermaid." I said.

She stared blankly, but then the three boys started to laugh. "I told you so." Elena giggled.

Cassidy Tate snorted.

"Oh come on, Cassette Tape, lighten up." Sash was grinning at me. I smiled back. He patted the bed and I walked over and plopped down on the end.

"So," Kris leaned forward. "Let me get this straight. You guys found Sash broken down and nearly unconscious in the driver's seat?"

Sash glared and I shrugged. "Yeah, what's your point?"

Kris and Kristy exchanged a knowing look and Kris just laughed. "Nothing."

"Are you two related?" I nodded to him and Kristy.

"Of course," Kristy said with wide eyes. "We're twins. If our looks weren't enough, aren't our names, like, a dead giveaway?"

I shrugged.

"So, what about you?" Elena asked. "Sash said you lived on a reservation. What's it like? Do you guys do tribal things and stuff? Powwows and bonfires? Do you have like a council?"

I smiled a little. "Yeah, we do _tribal_ things. Some of us reenact legends all the time. We have a beach and cliffs for cliff diving. We have a council. My dad was on it before he died—"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Elena said softly.

"It's alright. My mom's on the council now. So is Jacob's dad. Sam is, too." I added without thinking. Tribe chief. Alpha male.

"Sam?" Kristy asked.

"My old boyfriend," I said indifferently and it got _very _quiet.

I looked around at the surprised faces. "What? How many girls do you know that are my age that haven't had a boyfriend?"

"She's got a point." Cassidy pointed out.

"What happened?" Elena asked. "Do you want us to go beat him? Road trip!"

"No," I smiled. "It's a long story, but… it's better this way. He got married and they have a son and daughter now."

"Did he cheat or something?" Tim asked, speaking for the first time.

I shot him a murderous look. That was a bit too close to home. "No. It didn't happen that way. Just…things happened. He made his decision. We're still friends, though." I added brightly to loosen the tension. "We just don't see each other much anymore. But they'll be up sometime soon. It's my Mom's birthday next month. She, my stepdad, Sam, Emily and the babies, plus a few of my…er…cousins, will all be up here. You get to meet my real Mom, Sash. All you got to do is impress her and my stepdad and you're good to go. Just a warning though, my stepdad is a police chief. And he's Bella's dad."

Sash groaned. "Oh, great."

"Oh don't worry. Just make sure you're wearing a bullet proof vest." I added and Sash groaned again, his friends roared with laughter. I couldn't help but smile. It didn't matter if Sue and Charlie didn't approve. The hunter had captured the wolf.

When we got back home, Carlisle immediately went to talk to Edward about the grandparents. A few minutes later, Edward was off to Chelon to listen in on them. I found myself being interrogated by Carlisle, Jasper, and Jacob.

"Tell us exactly what Sash said to you about their legends." Jacob ordered and I flinched under the Alpha authority.

I sighed. "He said his great-grandpa used to tell him stories about wolves that helped their tribe. That's all, I swear."

"Nothing about his grandfather?" Carlisle checked.

"_No!_ Why am I being treated like a suspect or something?" I snarled, starting to shake. I knew I was being irrational, but I was just soinexplicably angry.

"Look, Leah, we just want to—"

"If I said I don't know, then I don't _fucking _know! Do you think I would hide this stuff from you? God!"

"Uh oh," Jasper backed away. And he was right.

I stormed out of the house and phased on the porch. Instead of taking off, though, I marched around to the back of the house to the snow fort. I walked around to the _wolf_ side and flopped down into the snow. I listened to this hissing of the snow as it melted under my hot skin and it relaxed me.

God damn it. They could ruin everything, Sash's grandparents. Who knew how much stock he put in the old tales? How much did he believe his grandparents? Would they tell him? Would they tell his mother to forbid him to go?

I snarled, gnashing my teeth.

No one bothered me and I just slept out there that night. I woke up the next morning to find five tiny wolves curled up around me. I smiled.

Sash didn't call the next day, or the day after, and when I called on the third day, no one answered. I tried the next day and an unfamiliar voice answered, but I knew who it was right away. Firm and ancient and female. The grandmother.

"Is Sash there? It's Leah."

Silence.

Then her voice, hushed so as not to alert anyone around, but still containing all the venom she could put into words, came through the speaker. _"Blood drinker, leave my grandson alone!"_

"Make me!" I snapped without thinking. Then I realized what she might've heard in that. "Hey, wait. I'm not a—"

But the dial tone cut me off and I slammed the phone down. My anger lasted for only a few seconds, then my lip quivered and I felt my body shaking with sobs. I felt a gentle, icy arm wrap around my back and I caught a flash of mahogany hair out of the corner of my tear-filled eyes. Esme.

"What's happened, Leah?" she asked gently.

"His grandmother," I hiccupped. "She…she called me a _blood drinker_ and told me to leave Sash alone! She's going to tell him. Wh-what am I going to do?"

I didn't realize anyone else was in the room until a child's body was plopped in my lap. Alba put her arms around my neck and hugged me until I finally stopped crying. I noticed the other kids, too, all around me; Luna on the floor, hugging one of my legs, and Scuro on the other, Rame leaning against my side, and Neve sitting behind me on the couch, stroking my head gently.

"It'll be alright, Mama." Luna said quietly.

I swallowed and straightened up. Alba slid off my lap and the duo on the floor let go of my legs, scampering back, as I stood up. "I know it will be. I'm not going to have them calling me vampire and I'm not going to have them getting Sash afraid to be within fifty miles of me."

"What are you going to do?" Alice asked softly. The rest of the Cullens had crowded at the top of the stairs.

'What are you going to do?' Six simple words used every day. Ordinary words, a common phrase…but so wrong coming from the mouth of Alice Cullen, probably the only real psychic in the world. If I hadn't been so pissed and determined, I would've laughed out loud.

"I'm going to show him." I pushed past the kids and jumped over the other couch.

"What?" Seth asked from somewhere behind me.

I yanked the door open. "I'm going to show Sash the truth. I'm going to show him I'm the wolf that saved his ass from the vamps." And I slammed the door.

I jumped off the porch and phased mid-air. In the split second where my ears were undergoing the change from above-average-human to super-intense-wolf, I heard someone shout"No!" but I couldn't place the voice.

And since it wasn't Jacob, obviously, I sprinted away from the house as fast as my four legs could carry me. We wolves were faster than vampires and I was the fastest wolf. No one would be able to catch me. Thank you unfailing stamina.

I felt the edges of my mind split open as two others joined the mindlink—Jacob and Seth, of course.

_Leah_, _don't even—_

_Don't you dare dish out any Alpha shit, Jacob Black! _I snarled before he could finish the order. _It's my decision._

_But it will affect us all. _Seth reminded me.

_No it won't. I'm the wolf. I told Sash about our ancestors._

_Yes, _our_ ancestors._ Jacob reminded me. _He knows you are our kin. If you are a wolf then we must be too. He's not stupid._

No, Sash isn't stupid… Once he saw my fur, after he got of the initial shock, he'd figure out that Sash and Jacob are wolves too. And, if he was smart as I thought, he'd put two and two together and work everything out. The wolves on the wall are us and the smaller ones are the children. The pelts match their hair. He might've already worked that out. And he'd know that the other wolves on the wall are the rest of the pack. I wondered if he'd pick out Sam.

_It's my decision._ I repeated firmly and propelled myself even faster than before. It was only then that I realized the world I could see through their eyes was completely still. They weren't following me.

Jacob sighed. _You know what, Leah? I'll leave it up to you. He's your future, not ours. I have my future and she's worried about what's happening. Do what you think is right for you. Just remember what the consequences are if he rejects you._

_Good luck, sis. _Seth said as Jacob faded out.

I managed to thank him before he was gone, too, then I snarled harshly through my teeth. But I didn't stop running.

I knew I was doing the right thing by telling Sash the truth. He needed to see what I was before his grandparents told him the legends of the _blood drinkers_. Even if they did, though…would he believe them? That got me thinking. _Would_ he believe them? Would he believe that I, such a warm-skinned girl was a Cold One? Would he believe that I was secretly a vampire that wanted to drink his blood and leave him as an empty shell? The very thought of him lifeless and bloodless on the ground made me howl sadly.

It took me a second to realize I'd stopped and that I was wailing like a lost puppy. I took a deep breath and licked my chest fur down. I was still jumpy and jittery so I gave myself a thorough shake and flopped down.

_Calm down, Leah._

I could just imagine his grandpa taking him off to the side and telling him: "Your girlfriend is an immortal ruler of the night, has cold, diamond-hard skin that reflects sunlight, and is going to drink your blood."

Ha! As _if_ Sash would believe that! He knew my skin was warm and soft. He'd seen me in the sun. But…but he'd never seen the Cullens in the sun and he'd felt their skin. Would he suspect the Cullens? I had to set _that_ record straight. Couldn't have Sash thinking I lived with monsters that saw him as the main course.

I hauled myself to my paws and set off at a brisk trot. I was almost to Chelon. I could smell the scents of the town just ahead. It was very comforting and my tail wagged. Maybe this would turn out alright. Sash trusted both of my forms. I just…I just hoped he'd trust them still when he learned they were one in the same.

_Click. _

I froze and whirled around. Oh shit. _Great job, Leah._ How did I not notice before?

There was a single heartbeat, accelerated by excitement, and slow breathing. A male's voice muttered, "Shit" above me. I looked up and my eyes locked onto the human crouched in a low tree branch. Exactly three things registered at once. One, he was a hunter. Two, he had a gun pointed straight at me. Three, it was Kris.

Apparently Sash hadn't told anyone that the huge wolves were actually shape-shifting werewolves. If I hadn't been in the present situation, I would've been grateful.

I didn't have much to worry about. Unless, of course, the bullet hit my brain, then I'd be pretty much screwed. If I attacked one of Sash's best friends he would never forgive me, or werewolves. I didn't flee, though. He would've pursued. Instead, I sat down and looked up at him calmly. Slowly, the blonde boy lowered his weapon and just stared down at me.

His gaze turned curious and he examined me inquisitively.

"Well…you're an odd thing." He said, half to himself.

I wagged my tail and woofed softly. He laughed. "Are you domestic? Jesus." He waved me away. "Go on. Go find a nice elk or something."

I cocked my head to one side and he pointed away from the town. "Go on."

I blinked at him and pretended to not understand. Playing dumb was fun.

He sighed and took something out of his pocket. I flared my nostrils and caught the scent of cooked venison. He held out a patty and waved it around a bit. Dying of laughter inside, I kept my eyes on it like a hungry animal.

"Do you want it?" He cooed.

I jumped up and barked eagerly, wagging my tail. This playing animal thing was pretty fun. That and I was hungry.

"Do you want it?"

_Duh. _

"Go get it!" He threw the patty. It was a pretty weak through, but I decided to humor him. I darted after it and scooped it up in my teeth. I looked back and wagged my tail. He threw two more that I scooped up before sprinting away. I ran for half a mile then swerved around and continued on towards Sash's.

The meat was making my mouth water. My belly rumbled. With a sigh, I sat down behind a fallen oak tree to enjoy my lunch. I put them on the ground and sniffed them curiously. I felt a little bad of robbing Kris of his meal, seeing as he'd only offered it to get rid of me, but I hadn't eaten for almost twenty-four hours and we shape-shifters were notorious for our large appetites and frequent meals and snack breaks.

I had to breathe on the patties for a minute because they'd cooled greatly by its time outside and by the wind battering it as I ran. I swallowed the first one quickly and my tail wagged of it's own accord. Yum. Whoever had cooked them did a good job.

I was just about to start on the third one when I heard voices and approaching footsteps. I flattened myself to the ground and kept perfectly still.

"—to me, son. You need to stay away from them all."

"No, Pap."

Sash! And his grandfather, too! Oh shit, shit, shit!

"They're not safe, Alex." His grandfather snapped.

"Why not?" Sash argued. I dug my claws into the ground when they sat down on the other side of the tree trunk and thought every cuss word I knew.

"They just aren't." His grandfather said firmly. "If I tell you the truth you'll think I'm a senile old fool like your father did."

"You'd be surprised." Sash said dryly. I knew how his eyes would flash with sarcasm as he said that.

His grandfather was silent for a minute, then he sighed. "They're vampires. I trust you know what vampires are."

It took every ounce of strength I had to not phase back and scream every horrible word and insult I knew at him. I pressed my nose to the ground and gritted my teeth whilst screaming inside my head.

Sash was very quiet. "Blood sucking demons from hell…" he murmured.

"Yes and no." My new worst enemy said, somewhat happily. "They are bloodsuckers, but not from hell. Vampires are immortal beings that used to be human."

"Cold Ones…"

"Yes…how did you know?"

"Leah told me."

The old man sucked in a sharp breath. "She told you what she was?"

I clenched my teeth so tightly I was afraid they'd snap. Bastard.

"What?" Sash roared. "You think _Leah_ is a vampire? You're insane, Pap! Leah is _not _a vampire!"

"How do you know?"

"How do you?" He challenged. "What are the signs?"

"Extreme beauty, musical voices, immortality, diamond hard skin that's icy cold and sparkles in the sun, eyes that change color, super speed and strength, and paranormal abilities."

"There," Sash sounded satisfied. "See? She's not one. Leah has the softest, warmest skin I've ever felt. She's beautiful, yeah, but her voice isn't musical. Not like…"

He trailed off and I silently finished the sentence for him. _Not like Rosalie's, or Bella's, or Esme's, or Alice's…or little Renesmee's. _

"Well…maybe Leah isn't a vampire, but she lives with them. The moment we saw Dr. Cullen and his wife, Ruth and I knew. They matched the legends description perfectly."

"But…but I was over there a whole day. They seemed plenty human to me."

"They're immortal, Sash. They could've had centuries of practice. These are unnatural monsters that suck the life out of people."

"Then explain Renesmee Cullen. She's Edward and Bella's daughter, but she has soft, warm skin. She looks like them, too."

I could imagine the befuddled look on the old guy's face and I smirked.

"There…are…legends…about half-immortal children from male vampires and female humans. Perhaps she is one of them. They are said to be as loveable as immortal children. Hmm… all legends say that there aren't any left. Of course…those are old…" He was muttering to himself now. "Which would mean that Bella—right?—is a new vampire."

That also makes it possible for her Dad to be alive.

"Leah and Bella are stepsisters—" Sash began defensively, but his grandpa cut him off.

"Then that just confirms my worst fears, then. Look, Alexander, I love you, son, and I'm just trying to protect you. But if Leah lives with them then she has to know. That means either she is some sort of vampire, or she's reeling you in for them."

"NO!" I heard Sash jump up. "No! Shut up! You crazy old man! Shut up! You don't know anything about her!"

"Do you?" He asked in a deadly calm voice.

Sash sputtered a bit. "I—she—Leah would never do that!"

"Fine!" The old man roared. "Don't believe me! Your father didn't! Look what happened to him! I'm the one who found his body! But fine! Don't listen! Just don't come crying to me when you're their Thanksgiving turkey!"

Sash screamed wordlessly at him then stomped away. The old man didn't leave, however. He sighed loudly.

"Abraham, your son is every bit the stubborn thickhead you were." His voice was quiet, amused whilst sad. "I just hope he sees the truth in time."

As soon as Sash's grandfather has gone, I swallowed the last bit of now cold meat then jumped up. I followed their trail back towards their house. But the trail split halfway there. I knew right away where Sash was and I took off towards his tree house. I had to circle back once to avoid a group of children playing in the trees, but I eventually got to the field with the tree patch where Sash's hangout was.

I skidded to a halt at the edge of the woods and surveyed the area. Fresh footprints led into the patch and I could hear Sash talking to someone, but there was only one heartbeat. After he spoke there was silence then he spoke again and I realized he was on the phone.

"No…he just wanted to tell me more crackpot stories." He was saying. "Yeah…no…no…about Leah…" he laughed. "Yeah…he's completely lost it now." But he didn't sound convinced. "Yeah…exactly…hey, I gotta go. Sorry, man. …Yeah…alright." I heard the phone snapped shut.

Then I heard the faint dial tone that cut off with the even fainter clicks from the keys. "…Hey, Seth. Why do you have Leah's phone?"

_Shit!_

"Oh…can I talk to her? …Oh…I just wanted to ask her something. No, it's alright you—what? Oh, alright. Well, have her call me when she gets back. Thanks."

He hung up and sighed loudly. "Damn…"

I figured now was as good of time as any so I bounded out of my hiding place and was in the glade within seconds. I whined loudly and pawed at the ground. My eyes locked with a pair of dark, panic-filled eyes, when he looked over the side. Then, they cleared and his face was a mixture of shock and delight.

"Hello there."

I flicked my tail back and forth and gave him the best smile I could.

Sash's eyes flicked to the rope ladder. "I don't suppose you can climb…" he said, half to himself, then his torso retreated over the railing. I listened to his swift footsteps on the wooden floor and I heard the rope ladder clatter to the ground. A minute later, he was walking around the tree and I sat down on the ground.

"I was beginning to think I'd dreamed that night." He admitted as he patted the top of my head lightly. Then he lowered his hand and bit his lip. "Is Leah alright? I haven't heard from her in days."

_That's because your grandmother won't let me talk to you_. I thought angrily and nodded.

"Is…is she mad at me?"

I shook my head.

Sash nodded and sat down on the ground next to me. I settled down beside him, keeping an eye on him. We were silent for several minutes then finally Sash let out a nervous laugh. "I can't believe it. My grandfather is accusing my girlfriend of being a vampire and I'm having a conversation with a werewolf."

I swallowed.

"Hey, now, don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

I almost phased right then and there, but something held me back. So, I just stretched forward and licked him from his chin, up his cheek, to the top of his head. He laughed and wiped his face with his sleeve. "Hey, cut it out."

I wagged my tail and let my tongue flop out in a wolfy grin.

"Hey, I do have a girlfriend, you know." He reminded me. "And you're nice, but I'd pick her over a werewolf."

I recoiled as if he'd slapped me. That hurt. That hurt a lot. I wasn't a werewolf, exactly, but I was close enough. I even had a werewolf name for goodness sake! Now I was glad I'd kept in my fur.

He misunderstood my reaction. "Hey, I'm not saying you were trying anything, I just wanted to tell you. Besides, you're Leah's friend too, right? Hey…can you go find her?"

I shook my head.

"Alright…um…" His eyes turned excited. "Can you…change back?"

I nodded.

"Will you? Please Kemli? That is your name, right? K-em-lee?"

I nodded.

"Kemli, alright, you have a nice name. Unusual, but it's still nice. Will you transform back?"

I shook my head firmly.

"Alright, um, Kemli," Sash shifted nervously. "I was doing a bit of research on the internet…and it says werewolves are the natural enemies of vampires."

I nodded.

"So, you're friends with the Cullens, right?"

I nodded again, more enthusiastically.

"So…how can they be vampires if you're their friend?" He grinned. "Yes! I knew it!" he turned towards the forest and shouted. "IN YOUR FACE, YOU OLD FOOL!"

My body shook with laughter and I wagged my tail. He grinned and decided to give me a nice ear rub. I rested my head on my paws and wagged my tail. _So this is why animals like it._ It was nice and relaxing. I made a low, grumbling noise and sighed.

"You're like an overgrown dog." He teased.

I gave him a look that made him laugh.

"So, did you get that from Leah or did Leah get it from you?" I don't think he really expected an answer. He shook his head, still laughing.

"—and I shit you not, it was a freaking monster!"

"Liar."

"It's true!"

I raised my head and growled in the general direction of Sash's approaching friends. He asked me what was wrong. I stood up and looked down at the now bare spot I'd sat in. I'd melted all the snow. Oh well. I ducked my head and pressed my nose to Sash's check then I turned and bolted in to the trees.

Somehow, I don't think Kris would like seeing his best friend associating with a huge wolf he'd just aimed a gun at.

Keeping low, I sprinted through the forest towards home.

_So much for telling him everything, _I thought dryly. Oh well. There would be other opportunities. More, well-planned opportunities. At least I'd managed to safely dispel the notion of vampires his grandfather had put in his head. No one could get mad at me for going to Chelon today.

Well, except Pap Dawson.

But who gives a damn, right?

* * *

**No, Sash's grandpa isn't really named Pap**

**No, you guys can't beat him**


	28. Unexpected

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

Sash's half hour with _Kemli_ had clearly put him at ease. We chatted on the phone later that day. Seth told me that he'd told Sash that I'd been in town so I told Sash I was already planning the kids' next birthday party. I was joking, of course, he could tell, but then he asked when their birthday was. When I said the beginning of February, two and a half months previously, he felt very guilty.

"_Ugh…damn. I should get them something."_

"Hey, relax." I said. "You didn't even know they existed until it had come and gone."

"_Still…"_

So, I asked Esme when he could come over. She and Carlisle talked for a minute, then she said he could come over on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday because they would be hunting. Timidly, Sash had asked if he could stay the weekend because his grandparents, who had been staying with them since the incident, were starting to bug the crap out of him. I asked Carlisle and he said that was alright and Sash's mother didn't really have a problem with it, as long as he called her during the evening.

"_She's not usually this overprotective,"_ he'd said. _"She just doesn't want a repeat of the last time_."

On Friday morning around nine, after Renesmee hadwoken up and had consumed a tiny supply of human food to hold her until they got to their destination, the Cullen coven set out for their cousin-clan nearby. The clan with the blonde traitor who snitched on the Cullens and nearly got all of us wolves, the Cullens, and their allies killed. Irina. They were going to visit the living ones. Tanya, Kate, Eleazar, Carmen, and Kate's new mate Garrett.

Esme told me she'd made enough food for all of us for the weekend, but if we needed more, the pantry was stocked.

The kids weren't surprised, when they woke up three hours later, to a house without vampires. They'd been told there would be no lessons today and they were used to a few or all of the Cullens vanishing over night.

They climbed into their chairs at one of the tables in the dining room that we'd bought for our façade. We could seat a grand total of thirty people. There were two large tables that could sit eleven people comfortably, and another, slightly smaller table that was meant for the kids. Jacob, looking a little sullen, Seth and I carried the food to the table.

"Why are you so sad, Uncle Jake?" Luna asked.

"Because he likes Nessie." Rame said, grinning deviously. "He looks at her the way Leah looks at Sash."

I give Sash the _imprint stare?_ Oh shit. Jacob blushed and I blushed at the same time.

"Jacob just doesn't like being away from Renesmee." Seth explained calmly. "There's nothing wrong with that."

One of the vamps had set the table for us so we just dished out the food Esme and Edward had left. Scrambled eggs, cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins, apple slices, yogurt, cheese, a plate full of pop tarts and several unwrapped granola bars. We took our seats, Neve said grace ("Dear God, thank you for eating, thank you for eating.") and we all dig in. She still doesn't fully comprehend religion, even though Carlisle's teaching them that, too, but they get the basics. Neve's little "blessing" is probably the cutest one yet. And that is saying something.

"I miss Emily's muffins." Jacob said wistfully after he swallowed the last of his blueberry muffin. "There's just something hers have that Edward's muffins don't."

"A woman's touch," I told him.

He laughed, "Maybe."

Still, food is food, and by the time we've all eaten our fill, there are only crumbs left on the plate. Everyone helped clear and clean the table and load the dishwasher. Neve and Luna start singing and within seconds the rest of us were harmonizing with them. Someone had apparently been helping Jacob because that boy was _n-o-t_ famous for musically gifted vocal chords.

We had about three hours until Sash arrived, but plenty to do.

Jacob and Seth helped the boys get showered and I helped the girls. Soon, the basement was filled with laughter, steam, and the mixed smells of the shampoos. I let them pick whatever they wanted to wear—which ended up being a lot of tank tops and sweat pants— then we started to get ready.

Jacob and Seth brought down two spare mattresses from one of the rooms with the sheets already on. Then they went back for the pillows. The kids pushed all the furniture against the walls so there was room for both the mattresses. The sight of Alba and Rame stumbling into the room half hidden by the mounds of sheets and blankets they carried was priceless. After we laughed for a few seconds, we relieved them of their burden.

We ended up pulling the couch forward so it was behind the mattresses then we draped sheets across it and spread the blankets over the mattresses. The kids brought their pillows and bedspreads out and claimed their section of the big bed.

"We're having a slumber party!" Alba sang over and over. I rolled my eyes.

Just then, Scuro stumbled into the room with a stack of DVDs bigger than he was. Unable to see where he was going, he bumped into the edge of the mattress. The movies toppled out of his arms and he landed face first on the soft down of the blankets.

As I stood back to examine our handiwork, I got an idea. Jake helped me push the couch back and I took all of the pillows and cushions in the room and tossed them into a pile near the wall. Not enough. I ran around the basement and rounded up a grand total of twenty cushions and pillows which tossed onto the pile.

The kids stared at it.

"Pillow Mountain!" Luna squealed, jumping and phasing at the same time, and landed on the mound as a wolf. Yipping excitedly she scampered to the top and howled. The others phased and landed on the replica of their early puphood bed.

I couldn't stop a tear from rolling down my cheek. I tried to wipe the evidence away quickly, but Seth saw and I knew I'd never live it down. Brothers. Bah.

Jacob took a quick survey of the yard then Seth, Jacob and I went outside with our boots on and filled in, smoothed over, and destroyed all wolf tracks. Sash knew we were friends with them, but it would look weird to have days of tracks everywhere. _Thankfully_ it was snowing hard so we didn't have much to do. Inside the house, the kids were supposed to be getting dressed, but when we got back down to the basement, we found the door to the pool door unlocked and the five rascals splashing around.

They knew not to swim as wolves; all the fur would murder the filters, so at least they were in their skin. Of course, that's all they were in.

"Get out of there right now!" I shrieked. Jacob and Seth brought towels then left the room so I could wrap then around the kids who then received a long talk from me about what would happen if they went swimming without permission again.

We had to get them showered, dried, and clothed again. By the time we were done with all that, we had a half hour until Sash said he'd show up.

I used an industrialized size pot to cook enough macaroni for our small, but ravenous pack. We ate quickly then I told the kids to go play. I was just carrying some of bowls over to the sink when I heard two identical wolf-like cries go up from the front yard. I dropped my load in shock. The plastic bowls hit the ground and went every which way. Jacob looked up from the table and Seth dropped a dish that he was loading into the washer. By the time all the noise had faded, the kids were at the top of the stairs.

"Who is it?" Scuro asked.

I bolted out of the kitchen as another cry went up. I jumped over both of the couches in the living room and threw the door open. There, standing on our sidewalk, grinning from ear to ear, were Quil and Embry.

I gasped their names in shock.

"Uncle Quil! Uncle Embry!" Alba flew out of the door and launched herself at her uncles. The other kids followed suit. Both of the shape-shifters grinned at me then tried to free themselves from the kids who had death grips on their arms and legs.

"Hey!" Jacob was grinning from ear to ear. He yanked his best friends up and punched the closest, Embry, on the arm. "What are you doing here?"

"How did you get here?" I corrected.

"We thought we'd come to visit," Embry said. "And we ran, of course."

I bolted out into the yard, searching for wolf prints. I found them near the trees and quickly covered them up. I stomped back, shaking the water off my hands. "What's with her?" Quil asked.

"Her boyfriend is coming over to spend the weekend with us." Seth explained.

Quil and Embry gaped.

"You have a…boyfriend?" Quil finally asked.

I folded my arms and scowled. "What's it to you?"

"He's her _imprint._" Neve added. "That's what Alice said."

Quil and Embry stared at me for a second longer, then they both roared with laughter and hooted about me imprinting. I snarled a few words the kids didn't need to hear then stomped inside. While Seth, the kids, and I cleaned up the kitchen, Jacob explained the situation to our packmates. Since they would be hanging around all weekend, they had to keep up a firm human appearance around a boy who'd been fed the vampire legends by his biased grandparents but was aware of local werewolves.

"Easy," Quil said. "He'll never know a thing.

"Oh, Uncle Quil, Uncle Embry!" Neve squealed suddenly. "Come here! We painted the pack on the wall!" While she led her uncles—and Scuro and Rame who hadn't let go of them yet—down to the mural, I finished up in the kitchen.

Not having anything else to do, I went outside. I took a running start from the lawn and when I got close enough, I leapt off the ground and landed gracefully on the roof. A minute later, Seth was beside me. I complimented him on his nice jump. Then Quil, Embry, and Jake climbed through the window.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the three stooges of La Push." I said.

"No," Quil said. "The three stooges of Jacob's cult."

Seth laughed. "Is that what they're saying now?"

Embry nodded seriously. "Yeah, a lot of the kids in school think that Jacob didn't like Sam's stuff so he broke off and made his own cult. Then when he headed north, you and Leah followed and we didn't, they figured we rejoined Sam."

"We haven't heard you in the link," Seth said. "_Have_ you rejoined Sam?"

Quil shook his head. "No, there just hasn't really been a reason to phase much recently. The only vampires who come through are looking for the Cullens or are easily dealt with."

"You should move up here." I said. "The kids would love you."

"But…Clare…" Quil said wistfully. "I can't just leave her."

"And Kayla," Embry added. "She and I are going steady now."

"You can rejoin Sam," Jacob told them. "I wouldn't mind. It makes sense."

"But we're loyal to _you_, man." Quil punched Jacob on the arm. "We're staying in your pack. End of story. New subject! Leah, what's this guy like?"

"Um…" I bit my lip, then grinned. "So you want to hear girly-talk about a boy?"

"No," Embry said. "We want to hear Leah-talk about an imprint."

I laughed. "Alright, alright. He's nice, handsome, and I think there's a wolf inside him. Not one that can come out, though." I added when I saw their faces. "He calls me Tikaani, which means wolf in his language. He adores the kids and, of course, Renesmee. He's a car dude, too."

Quil nodded. "I'll put in a good word with Charlie when we get back. Oh, Sue sends her love and Harry said his first word the other day."

"What?" I asked.

"Mama!" Embry said in a babyish voice.

"Cute."

"Oh, and Quil heard an old favorite on the radio." Embry's eyes shined with mischief. "We kinda…messed with it on the way here."

"Really?" Jacob grinned. "Let's hear it."

Quil and Embry looked at each other, Embry counted to one then they broke out into song.

"_I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand/ Walking through the streets of Port Angeles in the rain/ He was looking for the place called Super China Buffet/Going to get a big dish of beef chow mien._"

"_Awwooooo! Werewolvess of London._" Seth howled.

"No, no!" Quil cut him off. "Not London."

"Werewolvess_ of Washington! Awooooo!_" Embry howled and we roared with laughter.

"_You hear him howling around your kitchen door/You better not let him in/ Little old lady got mutilated late last night/ Werewolvess of Washington again/ Awwwooooo! Werewolvess of Washington, Awwooooo!"_

Sash's car was pulling up the drive by then, I could see him looking up at us, but the boys were wrapped up in their parody and the rest of us were trying to not laugh our asses off.

"_He's the hairy handed gent who ran amok in La Push/ Lately he's been overheard in Forks."_

"That doesn't rhyme," Seth laughed.

"Shut up!" I snapped and Embry and Quil kept singing. Meanwhile, Sash got out of his car and leaned against the frame to listen.

_$"You'd better stay away from him/He'll rip your lungs out Jim/Huh, I'd like to meet his tailor."_

"_Awooooo—" _I howled.

Then they joined in.

"_Awwwooooo... Werewolvess of Washington, Awwooooo!"_

Embry picked up the next verse. "_Well, I saw Quil Ateara walking with the Chief/Doing the Werewolvess of Washington/I saw Quil Ateara, Jr. walking with the Chief/ Doing the Werewolvess of Washington/I saw a werewolf drinking a root beer at Emily's house._"

_"And his hair _wasn't_ perfect!_" Quil poked Jacob who rolled his eyes.

"_Awwooooo_…" We all howled. "_Werewolvess of Washington, Awwooooo!"_

Once we were done, we all grinned at each other for a few seconds, then we were all roaring with laughter. I had to grip the roof so I wouldn't roll off and give Sash a heart attack. Currently, my imprint/boyfriend was laughing shaking his head.

"What?" Seth asked him once he was calm enough to breathe.

"You guys are high on something." He called up. "And I think my eardrums just broke."

"Hey, nobody likes a hater." Quil shot back. "We worked hard on that!"

Sash raised his hands in defense. "Hey, dude, it was funny. You still killed it, though."

Quil smiled and slid down the roof and landed in the snow. Embry, Seth, Jacob and I followed just behind. We landed in a cluster and Sash raised his eyebrows. I realized how odd we must look to him. Tall, muscular, and we just went down seven feet without even grimacing. Sash pulled a backpack and a duffle bag out of his backseat then closed his door and walked up to us.

"This is Quil Ateara and Embry Call." I said. "They came up from La Push to visit for the weekend and decided to lead us in a song."

Sash's eyes flashed. "Leah told me about you guys. You guys are in the 'pack' too, right?"

Quil and Embry flashed me looks.

I frowned. "What? He wanted to know our legends. Besides, you two started pretending to be wolves before I did." I snapped.

I saw the tension leave their faces and Quil stuck his tongue out. "Yeah, but you joined in the moment we mentioned—"

I slapped my hand over his mouth. "Yeah, we know, Quil. No need to repeat—EUGH! YOU ASSHOLE!" I jerked my hand away. "He _licked _my hand!"

Quil grinned until Jacob nailed him on the back of the head. We left them to fight it out in the yard and went inside. Sash and Seth laughed behind me as I stomped into the bathroom and attempted to completely sterilize my hand. They shut up when they caught sight of my glares.

Then the kids burst out of the basement. "Sash!" Rame jumped on the startled human's back.

"Wha—?" Sash toppled over in surprise. Then he was literally buried under the kids who found some limbs to cling to and chattered happily.

_Help me!_ Sash mouthed. Seth and I glanced at each other. Seth folded his arms behind his head and walked away. I smiled sweetly at Sash and shook my head.

Embry, however, came over and plucked Sash out of his prison like he was nothing but a piece of wood and set him lightly on the couch.

"Alright, no more harassing Sash." He ordered.

"Yessir," one of them mumbled.

Satisfied, Embry went outside to break up the scuffle and I walked over and gave Sash light kiss on the cheek. "And that's all you're getting in front of the kids." I whispered playfully. He winked at me then knelt down so he was eye to eye with the kids.

"I got you guys some stuff. Consider them…late birthday gifts."

The kids moved forward instantly, excited by the prospect of gifts.

"Now hold on," Sash said slowly. "These aren't big or expensive. These are handmade and most of them I caught myself." Sash unzipped his backpack and pulled out a beaver-skin hat, tail and all, and he handed it to Scuro.

"I caught this beaver when I was about your age." he said. "My dad taught me how to make a hat out of the skin."

I stared.

Scuro reached forward and took it carefully in his hand. He held it and flared his nostrils to get a scent, then he smiled up at Sash. "Thanks, dude." Then he placed it on his head.

The next one to get a gift was Alba. He gave her a beautiful hat made of red fox fur. It, too, had the tail still on it. Luna got handed a light brown fur hat with a fluffy stub tail on the back. Rabbit. She placed it on her head delicately and patted the tail. Rame got a raccoon skin hat which he proceeded to plop on his head, his eyes thanking Sash more than his words ever could. Neve got a snow white hat with a furry tail, much like Alba's.

"Arctic fox," Sash said when I asked. "The poor thing was dying already and I didn't want to waste such a pretty pelt. I figured she'd like it."

And like it she did. They ran to show off their new hats to their uncles, leaving us alone.

"I brought you something, too." He told me quietly and pulled out a brown quilt from his bag. I unfolded it and a tear rolled down my cheek when I saw the design. There was a large dream catcher on there, and in the middle of the dream catcher, was a gray wolf's head.

"I saw that in our store. I think my great grandmother made it. It reminded me of Kemli and you." He said softly. I smiled. "Now you have your dream catcher and your werewolf protector to keep you safe."

I smiled and wrapped the blanket around my shoulders. "Thanks."

"So, where are the others?"

"Oh, they went down to visit some friends in Denali." I said nonchalantly. "We had some issues with them a few years back so we didn't go."

"What happened?"

"Eh…long story."

He glanced at me anddidn't ask again.

We had dinner—hamburgers, fruit salad, scrambled eggs, peas, and chocolate cake—around seven. Sash laughed when Neve said her prayer and earned a reproachful glare from all the kids. Flushing, Sash pressed his finger to his lips and Neve repeated, "Dear God, thank you for eating, thank you for eating. Amen."

Sash seemed surprised at how quickly each of us was wolfing down our food. He laughed when Jacob swallowed a burger whole. When he tried he almost choked, but somehow managed to get it down. Seth cheered and thumped him on the back. Sash was more than willing to help clean up from dinner and Quil and Embry took note of this.

"I'll tell Charlie he is helpful, good with the kids, and gets along with you well." Embry muttered in my ear as he handed me a plate. I rolled my eyes.

Sash called his mother to let her know he was fine and things were going great. She apparently asked to speak to Carlisle but he told her that Carlisle was at the hospital and Esme was taking a walk with Rose and Bella.

Then we headed down to the den and crash on the mattresses. The kids climbed onto the pillows and no one else even bothered trying to sit there. They hadn't taken their hats of yet. They were excited and hyper as we selected a movie—Scooby Doo, the live action one—but when I turned the lights off and as the movie progressed; they seemed to get more and more and disinterested in what was going on. In fact, by the time Quil eagerly put the sequel in, they looked exhausted. I figured they'd just worn themselves out and didn't mind at all.

Snuggled up near Sash, surrounded by my warm blanket, I found I, too, was getting sleepy. So, while Scooby Doo and Shaggy invaded a criminal club dressed as disco freaks, I drifted off to sleep in my boyfriend's arms for the first time.

* * *

**Sash**

This is the first time I've seen Leah sleep.

The moment I realize her breathing has become slow and even, I can't focus on the movie anymore and watch her instead. She looks almost helpless as she sleeps, though I know muscles lurk just underneath her blanket. But she seems tinier and more innocent. The hard, almost anxious look that is always present on her face isn't there right now. If anything, she looks more beautiful. I didn't think that was possible.

She smiles or frowns a bit every so often; she whimpers at one point softly until I gently rub her arm and she fall silent, a smile gracing her lips.

I just can't believe it. I'm so damn lucky. Leah is the most amazing girl I've ever met. I've had girlfriends before who I thought were amazing, but Leah tops them in ways even I can't understand. There's just something about her that, even through the weird things that have happened, keeps me by her. And while my coot of a grandfather accused her of luring me to my death like a siren, I somehow knew that Leah wasn't doing that. Even if the Cullens really are…_vampires_ and Leah knows, I just _know_ she isn't going to hurt me. That I'm safe here.

I just know she's _the one_. The one who I'll spend the rest of my life with. The tomboy princess for the geek prince. Pap and Nana won't like this one bit.

I glance over at her brother and cousins. Are they really related? Only Seth really bears any resemblance to Leah, except for the muscles, height, skin, hair, and eye color, and internal temperatures. But, then again, I don't look much like my cousins either, so I can't say anything.

four of them are either really focused on the movie or are ignoring us. Maybe both. Either way, I'm grateful, and I lean over to lightly give Leah a kiss on the forehead. As if he heard me, Seth turns to look. I smile sheepishly and he winks then turns back to the movie just as Scooby takes off down the hill on a trashcan lid with the boney duo right after him. The boys laugh and I laugh too then rest my head on top of Leah's.

Seth clearly has no problem with my feelings for his sister, which is weird. Most brothers get very protective when their sister gets dated. I know I did.

I don't know what makes me look over at the kids, but the moment I do I know something is wrong. All of them are twitching oddly. I raise my head to watch them. The minutes pass and their twitching turns to shaking and convulsing. Then Alba sits straight up, holding her belly, and let's out a chilling scream of agony.

Leah is wide awake almost instantly and her body is vibrating like a tuning fork. What the hell? She jerks out of my arms and crouches down, looking around for the trouble.

"Mama!" Alba wails before falling back. I watch her grope around and latch onto her sister, Luna's, hand. All of the kids are awake now and are desperately trying to grab onto each other. Its seems to help.

"Oh no!" Leah gasps and Seth flies over to the wall where a tiny window is.

"What's going on?" I ask, but I'm ignored.

"Shit! It is!" Seth shouts. The others seem to understand what he means and everyone is in motion faster than I thought possible.

"Get them outside, now!" Leah screeches. I've never seen her so scared. Seth, Quil, Jacob, and Embry have all of the kids out of the room within seconds. Leah follows them just as fast. Their speed is almost inhuman.

I've apparently been forgotten, but I follow them as fast as I can. As I run up the stairs, I see everyone's shirts, hats, pants, socks, and even a few undergarments have been thrown every which way.

Why the hell is everyone stripping? I have a sick feeling in my gut.

Leah's throwing off her sweatshirt off near the door when I catch her by her arm. She spins around to face me. Her body seems to be vibrating again and her muscles are flexing under her skin. She jerks her arm away.

"Go back downstairs Sash." She orders.

"Leah, what—?" I begin, but she cuts me off.

"This is all wrong." She says then looks up at the ceiling and hurls a curse word at someone called Celbra. "You weren't supposed to find out this way. I had a whole speech prepared and…" A scream from outside silences her. It happens so quickly after that. "Go back to the basement, Sash!"

She turns and is running out the door before I can stop her. I hesitate, wondering if I _should _just go back to the basement. Whatever's going on is probably way out of my league… I follow her outside but I halt on the porch. In the yard, surrounded by the boys, were five wolves, all of them staring up at the full moon. As I watch stare, two of the boys vanish and two wolves appear in their place. Werewolves.

And Leah…my beautiful Leah, is running straight towards them. The light of the moon has turned her coppery skin into a beautiful silvery-bronze. Her dark hair shines. She's magical.

"Don't just stand there! Phase!" she shouts and then the other two boys seem to disappear behind the forms of two hulking wolves. There's something about the way she shouted…it's familiar…

Leah jumps into the air, arms extended in front of her, as if she is taking flight. But then her body curves and I watch as she explodes. But, she's not exploded, exactly. She's still there. Only, she's not there. It's not Leah. It's someone else. It's something else.

It's a wolf.

The creature lands and throws its head back, letting out the same, musical cry that I heard weeks ago in the forest, when the wall wolves saved me from the vampires. But it seems sad and full of pain and rage. The other wolves take up her cry, too.

My mind seems strangely blank. I can't comprehend what's happening…except that…they are beautiful…

There's a tall russet one, a gangly sandy one, a lithe gray one, a thin dark gray one, a chocolaty-brown one, and smaller ones; black, white, silver, sandy, and dark russet—the werewolves who saved my life. They are right in front of me. Where Leah and the others should be.

Then when they stop howling, the smaller wolves sprint into the woods, followed swiftly by four larger of the larger ones, leaving me alone with the lithe gray wolf.

It looks like—Kemli. Only…it isn't. The truth hasn't really sunk in until then and I feel the full, crushing force of it as I meet her black eyes. I know her as Kemli, but that isn't her name. It was a lie, all of it. I feel my legs giving way and I collapse onto the wood, leaning on a beam to keep upright. I watch the wolf's face crumple and she howls again, long and sad. And more of the obvious, but impossible, truth hits me like knives to the heart.

Leah.

It's Leah.

Leah's a wolf.

Leah's a werewolf.

I want to speak to her, but my mouth just opens and closes like a fish's and I can't force my voice to work. Her howl chokes off and she gives me one more agonized look before she turns around and lopes into the trees where the large pale wolf nuzzles her and they disappear into the darkness.

Tears stream down my cheeks and I bury my face in my knees.

Maybe this is just a nightmare.

Yeah… yeah, that's it. I've been thinking about what Pap said too much. I'm going to wake up tomorrow…and things will be alright. Normal. I'll be asleep against the couch and Leah will be in my arms. Human.

Yeah. It's just a dream.

* * *

**********A friend of mine came up with the idea for that _Werewolves of London_ spoof. It was cute, cheesy, but cute, so I used it.**

**********Original Song by Zevon.  
**


	29. Leah's Tail

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

_I can't go in there. _

_Uh, yes you can. It's__ your house._

_How exactly do expect me to face him after last night?_

_Easy, stand right in front of him and look him in the eye._

_Shut up, smart ass. She wasn't talking to you._

_Buzz off, Embry. _

I sighed and dug my claws into the ground, the snow having long since melted under my paws. We were at the edge of the trees by the house. We could see the eastern sky turning orange as dawn came closer and closer. We had to go inside soon and get some rest. Well, the kids did, anyway. Despite the Moon energy that now surged through their bodies, they were exhausted. However, no one seemed willing to make the first move towards the house.

_Maybe he's not even here._ Quil thought hopefully.

_Nah, his car's still there. _Jacob said.

_And I can hear his heart._ I snapped, suddenly impatient. _He's here and he's asleep. _

_So, we sneak in quietly? _Embry suggested.

_Yeah, and whoever__ wakes him up gets their ass beaten. We go in, we get downstairs, and we leave him alone until I can come up with some damn good explanation for last night._ I growled.

_Yes ma'am,_ Embry whimpered.

I stood up, looked around once, then stepped out of the trees. Jacob took the lead and we followed him towards the house, keeping low to the ground. It felt like the whole world was staring at us with accusing eyes, stripping away our bravado, fur, muscles, everything that protected us, leaving us bare and open and vulnerable.

_Relax, Leah. _Seth soothed.

_Mama, I'm tired._ Alba whispered. I glanced down at the five puppies stumbling around my paws. I ducked my head and licked the top of hers gently.

_You can go straight to sleep, alright? Don't worry about pajamas if you don't want to. We'll get you guys cleaned up later. _

Luna yawned, her jaws stretching wide and a whine escaped her throat. _Alright, Mama._

I'd tried to apologize to everyone last night, for forgetting about the full moon, but no one would hear a word of it. They, too, had forgotten about the moon. Even Embry and Quil, who'd run here overnight, seen the waxing moon, and knew what the full moon meant, had forgotten to warn us. And while our minds were our own until the moon passed its zenith I _knew_ all thoughts were on Sash and I. Once the link was open again, all thoughts were soothing me.

We stopped on the porch to phase then we crept inside, our bare feet making no noise on the floor, and headed for the basement. As we passed the living room, I froze. Sash was sound asleep on the couch. The others passed by me, Seth even patted my back before he hurried for the kitchen. I walked slowly towards the couch, watching him carefully, looking for any sign he was awake. He wasn't.

I stopped a few feet away and studied him. His face, even in sleep, looked sad. It hurt to see that. How much had I hurt him last night? I was turning to head to the basement when I stepped on a bad spot and the floor creaked. I turned my head. Sash barely even shifted. I exhaled in relief and Sash bolted up with a wild gasp. I ducked down behind the other couch and peered at him cautiously.

We stared at each other for about ten seconds before he spoke. "What the hell are you, Leah?" He whispered.

I lowered my head and sighed.

"Are you a _loup-garou?_" he asked hoarsely, disbelievingly.

I didn't know what that meant. But this wasn't the place to answer his questions. "Wait here." I said then hurried out of the room. I jumped down the stairs two at a time and made a beeline for my room. I saw Alba, Neve, and Luna throwing on their pajamas as I passed.

In my room, I had an entire dresser full of clothes that we bought for phasing. Since we were so far away from anyone, we didn't have to worry about carrying full outfits when we phase. And I didn't even wear normal bras or underwear anymore, just sports bras and boy shorts. They were easier to walk around in, even though I didn't really care about being _seen_ anymore. Four years is enough time to get used to it. The male vamps had the courtesy to look away, everyone in the pack had seen each other at least once, the girls didn't care, and the kids didn't even know anything's wrong_. _

I pulled on a grayish blue sports top and gray boy shorts. Then I threw an old t-shirt on and old shorts. No need to bundle up around him anymore; I didn't even bother with shoes. When I passed the den, I saw all the kids curled up on the pillows from last night. The boys were sitting in there, too. They looked up when I stopped outside the door.

"Nice outfit." Embry said dryly.

I glared, but otherwise ignored him. "I'm taking him into the woods to talk to him. Just…get some sleep. If I'm not back when they wake up, get them bathed and fed."

Jacob nodded. "Good luck, Leah." He tossed me Sash's parka.

I managed to smile then hurried up stairs. Sash was waiting huddled up on the couch. He looked so scared and helpless, so much like he had that night when I'd saved him. He jumped when he noticed I was in the room. I felt a stab of guilt. "Get your coat on." I said quietly and tossed it to him.

Sash caught it then scrambled off the couch and got it on quickly. I'd silently made my way over to the door and he jumped again when he saw me. I sighed and opened the door. He trembled and his heart thudded in his chest as I lead him into the woods. He smelled of fear and it made tears leak out of my eyes, knowing that I was one that scared him. I blinked them away angrily.

The snow hissed under my bare feet as we trudged through the trees. I jumped over fallen logs with ease. Despite the circumstances, it was fun to show off. I waited patiently for him to stumble and scramble forward, always keeping just ahead of him and never looking at him. When I heard his breathing becoming labored I decided we could stop. I turned around to face him. He looked like he was trying to stay calm, but his dark eyes were wary. I sighed and sat down on the ground. He sat down beside me a few seconds later.

We sat in silence for a few minutes as I decided how to explain things to him. He either was trying to decide what to ask or had no idea what to say. I mean, how exactly do you react after your girlfriend morphs into a huge wolf right in front of you? I finally decided to tell my story.

"My name is Leah Clearwater." I said slowly. "My mother's name is Sue. My father's name was Harry. In the 1930's, three young men Levi Uley, Ephraim Black, and Quil Ateara Senior, became the first wolves of the tribe in two-hundred years. They are my ancestors. You know the legend, Sash? The one I told you?"

Sash's face was very pale as he swallowed and nodded once.

"Well, I left out one part. We exist because vampires do—" Sash gasped at the 'v' word "—and the presence of a vampire is needed to trigger the genes. Uley, Black, and Ateara became wolves because Carlisle Cullen moved his coven of five to the small town of Forks, Washington. At the time, it was only Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward. Alice and Jasper weren't with them yet and Bella wasn't born. The pack was prepared to wipe out the Cullen coven, but Carlisle reasoned with them because he and his family weren't like other vampires. They fed on the blood of animals instead of humans."

Sash made a strangled sound. I glanced up at him then continued.

"So, a treaty was made. As long as Carlisle and his coven promised to stay off Quileute lands and to not bite any humans, we wouldn't expose them or kill them. And after they moved away, the pack gave up their wolves and their existence became legend again, only the elders knowing it was true. Until a few years ago. The Cullens moved back to Forks. I was sixteen. Sam and I had been going steady for two years when Quil Senior, our Quil's grandfather, told my dad that Carlisle and his lot were local. I didn't really understand the fuss, but we were forbidden to leave the reservation woods or to use the Forks hospital. Other than that, things were normal for a while, and then one day, Sam vanished.

"I was so scared. He'd just gone! We combed the woods, the mountains, and they even searched the coast. I was out there everyday. I even skipped school to search. Half a month passed and I was beginning to assume the worst, then he was back. Just…back. And different. He'd gotten taller and very muscular before he'd vanished—I thought he'd been trying to impress me—but he was even taller and _way_ ripped when he was back. He seemed…nervous to be around me…" I trailed off and I realized I was crying. I blinked the tears away and swallowed.

"There were lots of rumors and I was starting to believe some of them. He assured me time and time again that it wasn't anything bad, but he wouldn't tell me what. Dammit, I loved him too much to doubt him. Then…my cousin, Emily, came down from the Makah reservation to visit. Sam came over to say hello while she was there and the moment he looked at her…he… Well, I knew something was different. He looked dazed then he ran out of the house like someone had pointed a shotgun at him.

"Then that night, Sam took me outside onto my porch and…t-told me there was someone else. But not who. When I found out it was Emily… She told me she'd never date Sam and that she was going to tell him that. But then they started spending a lot of time together. Then I heard she'd been attacked and was in the hospital."

"What?" Seth blurted out. "He put her in the hospital?"

I sighed and held up my hand. "Let me explain, it's not what you think. She said some things to him, subjects we never_ ever_ were supposed to breach, and e lost control. It happens sometimes, especially when we were newer. She got too close when he was shifting and she got slashed by his claws. They told everyone she was mauled by a bear and Sam managed to scare it off. After that, they went steady and eventually got engaged. I figured, saving her life must've gotten Sam some serious brownie points." I frowned, feeling the old bitterness rising up. "Emily…I felt like…I felt like she'd deserved it for betraying me like that. I wouldn't talk to her for weeks.

"Not long after Sam went 'weird,' Paul started acting the same, then Jared, and soon they were like…a cult. Those two boys followed Sam everywhere and did everything he said. They all cut their hair—everyone used to have long hair—and got the pack symbol." I moved my sleeve and turned my arm so he could see the pack brand on my upper right arm. It was one thing I'd always kept hidden from him, as had the boys. Hesitantly, Sash reached forward and traced it with his finger.

When I put my sleeve back down, his arm retreated and he nodded for me to continue.

"Emily moved down to the reservation and bought a house back in the woods near the ocean. Her house served as the base, I guess; the wolves' den. She became the mother figure for the pack. She always cooked the food. And, trust me, if you can cook enough to feed a growing number of crazy hungry werewolves, then you deserve a medal or something. About a month after Jared joined the cult, Embry went and joined them too. Then Jacob. I honestly thought he'd stay out of it. He bad talked Sam enough. Then I noticed Seth starting to change physically, just like Sam had. I was too. I started to grow and when I realized I was getting stronger. My temper became very volatile. I was getting pissed off over stupid shit. But I'm a girl. No one expected me to shape-shift.

"Then one day Mom and Dad started arguing with me about my moods. I thought they were being unfair and picking on me and…I lost it. I transformed right there in the living room. Totally murdered the couch. And Dad…my daddy was so…shocked. He'd never, ever expected that it would be _me_ that shifted. He had a heart attack. Mom's a nurse so she tried to help him. When I shifted, Sam was already in the mindlink, and so was the rest of the pack. I scared the shit out of them. I managed to tell them what was going on."

A tear trickled down my cheek.

"Dad died. And Seth phased later that night. I didn't even get to say goodbye to Dad. Seth and I didn't get to go to the funeral because we hadn't changed back yet. It's very hard the first time. That night, though, is his honor, the entire pack joined us down at his grave and we howled. Just howled. It was the most respectful thing we could give him. After all, he'd protected the legend and for so long."

I felt his hand brush the back of mine in a light, comforting gesture for a few seconds. I smiled a bit and swallowed back the old grief.

"They explained all the werewolf stuff to us, the rest of the pack. We can communicate in our minds, you see. It only works in wolf form, though. And I learned why I'd lost Sam."

"Why?" Sash asked quietly.

I sighed. "Because of imprinting. That's what we call the thing that happens when we find our soul mate. When the guys see the girl they're meant for, they 'imprint.' Their whole life becomes about her. They become whatever their imprint needs them to be. Emily needed a lover and Sam became that. Little Claire needs a big brother to support her as she grows and Quil is that for her. She's five so it'll be a while—hey, now, don't look at me like that. It happens."

He gaped.

"We'll get back to the subject of cradle robbing in a minute, ok? I learned that I was the first female wolf to join the pack. Ever. And once I learned why Sam had left me…damn it, I couldn't stay mad. He'd had no say in the matter. But I was still so hurt. And I had to share thoughts with him…and them… I made their lives hell. No one wanted me around anyway. So I decided to just piss them off because they were stuck with me and Sam never told me off. It was my way to vent. Causing pain made it easier to forget my own."

I sighed and smiled a bit. "So, I'm sure you're wondering how I ended up in Alaska with Jacob as the Alpha, living with the Cullens, and responsible for five kids?"

Sash nodded.

"Well, besides the transformations, the Cullens presence didn't really make much difference until September of '05. Ironically enough, it happened when they suddenly vanished. The night it happened, Sam, Paul, Jared went with a bunch of other guys to search the Forks forest for Bella Swan, daughter of Billy Black's best friend, Chief Charlie Swan. Sam found Bella in the woods alone. Abandoned. She was just Edward's human girlfriend at the time. Everyone thought the Cullens had just up and left and Edward dumped her. Really, Edward wanted to protect her, but we didn't learn that for ages. Of course, I don't see how leaving someone alone in the forest is protecting them. Anyway, she was a wreck. I saw her with Jacob a lot by mid-January. I really got a good look at her one time when she, Dad, Mom, Seth and I got invited over to Jake's for dinner. She looked pretty happy by then. I figured she and Jacob were going to hook up.

"The day I phased, like just a few minutes before, she'd decided to go cliff diving and nearly died. Alice was up here in Alaska at the time and she saw it happening in a vision and she told Rosalie who then told Edward."

"She saw it in a _what?_" Seth asked.

I sighed impatiently. "Alice can see the future of humans and vampires, but not werewolves or shape-shifters. Since Jacob was around, Alice didn't see Bella get pulled out of the water. So she thought the reason Bella's future blanked was because she had committed suicide."

"…Do they all see the future?"

I shook my head. "No, just Alice. But Edward can read minds. Bella has a mental shield that repels most mental powers. Edward can't read her mind, or my kid's minds, for some reason, and he has trouble reading mine now. Jasper can sense and control emotions. Emmett is stronger than most vampires. Carlisle's isn't a power, exactly, but he's immune to the instinctive responses from the scent of human blood. Esme can love unconditionally and Rosalie…um…she is probably the most beautiful vampire in existence. Little Renesmee can show people her thoughts by touching them. The Cullens drink animal blood, not human, but there are very few others who follow their diet. They cannot sleep, human food is nothing to them, they're venomous, super fast, super strong, their eyes change color, they're immortal, their skin is diamond-hard and reflects sunlight. They're inhumanly pretty physically and they sound musical. They have heightened senses beyond your comprehension, their minds work better than ours, and they never forget anything from their vampire life. Any questions or can I go on?"

Sash's eyes were as round as saucers and his face looked unhealthily pale, but he nodded for me to go on. I went on to tell him about the little rescue mission that put the entire region into the Volturi's eye. I told him about the love triangle worthy of a cheesy novel that went going on for a while, then about Victoria and the army she'd been amassing. I skipped over the whole planning bit and gave him loose details about where everyone was stationed for the battle, how Edward and Seth were guarding Bella farther away and how Jacob had been there the night before and a bit before the battle. It felt a little weird telling Sash about the private conversation Edward and Bella had had in the tent.

"Jacob was a wolf when he heard it so we all felt his pain. And, man, let me tell you, that fucking hurt. It was like Sam all over again." I explained. "The Cullens freaked because we all were howling too. Edward managed to convince Jacob to come back and I watched through Seth's eyes as Bella paced like crazy until they showed up. Edward took Seth a few miles out so he wouldn't hear Bella and Jake talking and so he could coordinate with Carlisle and Sam. All too soon, though, Jacob shape-shifted." I gagged and pointed inside my mouth. "He'd kissed Bella. And I mean really kissed and decided to _grace_ us with an instant replay. Thanks to that idiot, I had a few lesbo dreams about Bella! Don't even ask, Sash, cause I've been trying to forget them."

I think Sash laughed, but when I glared at him accusingly, his face went back to nothing but intense and curious. But there was laughter behind his eyes.

I told him how the battle went down, and complained a little. "Seth got a whole newborn to himself!" I told him about my little spar with the lone newborn. "I tried to fight him alone, you know, just to prove I could do it. But I stumbled once and Jacob had to save my ass. He was really hurt. Course, I was torn between anger because he'd interrupted my fight and gratefulness because he'd saved me from all that pain. Still, I decided to give him hell after I had a dream about—uh…well…it doesn't matter. Bella chose Edward and when Jake got an invitation for their wedding, he blew the coop for a few weeks. He came back and crashed the wedding. That didn't end well for Jake. And when the happy couple came back from their honeymoon, Bella was knocked up."

Sash gaped. I quickly explained about Sam's plan to raid the Cullens and kill the fetus because no one was sure what it would become. Then how Jacob had embraced his birthright as the real Alpha and Seth had followed him away.

"Sam sent us home while he went to discuss things with the elders. That night, I barely slept at all. I was thinking about it all. I didn't really want to be under Jacob's command, or share his thoughts, but since the mindlinks were separate, I would be away from Sam. I didn't have to share his thoughts anymore. Jacob's thoughts or Sam's? Ooh, what a toughie. Yeah, I joined up the next morning. Jake and Seth weren't too happy, but I decided to be a bit nicer to Jake, and it felt like home with those two boys. It was much nicer with only two voices in my head. Bella sent Jacob for another loop and I gave her hell for that, which of course, got _me _in trouble. Oh but no one gets mad at Bella-the-heartbreaker! …Sorry. I'm ranting.

"She had Renesmee not long after. And I mean not long, as in hours. Not weeks. Renesmee was ready to be born less than a month after she was conceived! If that doesn't make you wonder what the fuck she spawned, nothing else should. But, since Jake was still in love with Bella and was the rightful Alpha, he allowed her to be changed into a vampire. If he hadn't approved, that treaty I told you about would've been violated, because Bella was going to die unless she became a vampire and no one was planning on letting her die. Well…I'll admit that I might've…"

Sash gave me a look that made me wince.

"Stop it. I hated her guts, remember? Anyone who breaks hearts is no friend of mine. She only recently got on my good side and even now she and I don't always get along. She's lucky that Jacob imprinted on Renesmee right after her birth. That made the kid virtually untouchable because if you kill another wolf's imprint, you're screwed. And if you hurt the imprint of another wolf in some way you're also screwed. So, Sam and the others couldn't attack her and the Cullens, because they were so dear to Renesmee, couldn't be touched either or else Jacob would be on their asses and Seth and me by extent. Quil and Embry joined our little pack just a few days later."

Sash held up his hand. "Ok, hold it."

"Yes?"

"Jacob imprinted on Nessie? As in…they're…and they're gonna be…"

"It doesn't matter the age, Sash." I said gently. "He's her protector and friend right now. When the time comes, they could possibly be married. He's the perfect match for her, after all."

He made a face. "She's eight…wait no, that's not possible…how old is she?"

"She's almost four. She's half vampire and half human so, for some reason, that makes her age faster. Oh, don't look at me like that. I didn't make him imprint on a newborn. Can I go on?"

"Uh…I guess." But he looked like he wanted to throw up.

I explained about Irina coming down and seeing Renesmee and then mistaking her for an immortal child, and then I had to touch on the subject of immortal children and then explain about Irina's coven before I could go on. I told him about Alice's vision, and her departing instructions, then about how the covens and nomads had come together for the fight. "And, as you can imagine, thirty-two vampires around caused an explosion of wolves. We had seven newcomers in three weeks. _Seven!_ God I felt so bad for the other pack! Can you imagine sharing thoughts with twelve others? Most of them barely into puberty! Ten had been bad enough. Sam asked me to help with the three females who'd become wolves, too."

Then I told him about the Volturi confrontation and the almost battle and the revelation that we were not werewolves but, in fact, shape-shifters. I told him about Alice bringing Nahuel and the half-vampire's testimony that saved our asses. "Aro and Caius had nothing left to condemn the Cullens, no reason to execute anyone, so they left. And everyone lived happily ever after!"

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows.

"No!"

He winced and fell silent again.

"Damn, can you believe what a buzz kill that was?" I asked. "I was ready to kick some ass! Grr. Anyway. Everyone went back to their lives. Four of the new kids gave up their wolves in the year that followed and went on with their lives. Embry imprinted. Jake's pack pretty much moved in with the Cullens. Emily and Sam got married and I was still alone. Then, in February of last year, Seth, Jacob, Embry, and Quil were out running the borders for Sam and Seth found a werewolf in the woods. Her name was Noami and she'd just given birth. She died and so did one of the pups, but the other five survived. They brought the runts back to me and I became their Mama. Nessie helped me name them—Dawn, Snow, Dark, Copper, and Moon. I translated them into Alba, Neve, Scuro, Rame, and Luna accordingly. They didn't know I wasn't their real mother for a while, but they accepted me when they learned the truth. Well, eventually, anyway. We moved up here last summer because the Cullens were supposedly older than they looked. Some things had happened and we decided to go for a drive one day in January. Jacob drove into a certain small town to get some gas and left me and Seth to explore. I wandered into a certain store and I met you. And, well, you know the rest."

Finally finished, I leaned back onto my hands and stretched my legs out in front of me. Sash was really quiet for a few minutes after that. I could almost hear his mind working as it processed all the new information.

"How old are you?" he asked me. I almost laughed. Out of all the things he could've asked, he asked my age.

I smiled a bit. "Physically, I'm twenty. Technically…I'm twenty-four."

Sash made a face. "How—?"

"I can't age, Sash." I said and there was a long pause. I decided to go on. "I am stronger than the average human. I can run for miles and never be tired. As a wolf, I can run faster than a vampire. My senses are heightened. I am never cold. I heal fast. I hear the thoughts of my pack when we are in wolf form, as I said. My reproductive cycle doesn't function right, yet, according to a spirit, I can have kids and—"

"A _spirit?_"

Oops.

"Uh…since I got the kids, I've been able to see and hear the spirits of the dead werewolves. They speak to me in dreams. Mostly Noami and Fango, the kids' mother and brother. I've…I've even been pulled into their, um, heaven before. And I've been to the world in between life and death. I met the first werewolves and they told me so many things. Amari, the first female werewolf, told me that the wolf Taha Aki merged with had werewolf in it's bloodline. It's my destiny to help save the werewolf species. I have to protect my kids. They are the first pups born in decades. Seth gets the dreams too, but differently." I laughed darkly. "I see dead people, I morph into a giant mutt, I'm responsible for my father's death, and I live with vampires. I can understand if you never want to see me again."

Sash had his face in his hands and he was very quiet. I didn't speak anymore, waiting for him to take it all in and decide. I couldn't help but worry. What if he didn't accept me? I knew I would honor his decision, but I would never stop protecting him. I was getting ready to just start crying and admit that he was my imprint and that he was the only one I could ever feel for, but he spoke before I lost all dignity.

"Why me?" He looked up. "Why not someone else?"

I looked away. "I think I imprinted on you. If…if I did imprint, then imprinting must work differently for females. I don't feel as if my whole world revolves around you…but I feel like I…I just _know_ I have to be with you." I turned to face him. "The first time I saw you, in the store, I imprinted on you. We can't control it, it just happens. I never wanted to hurt you, Sash. I've only wanted to keep you safe. You know, the night you were attacked, Fango told me to go after you. If he hadn't…" I trailed off.

"So you _were_ the wolf in the woods." He said triumphantly. "You're Kemli."

"Yes. It means strong and brave warrior. Noami gave it to me one full moon a few months back. Apparently it's a great honor to be given a werewolf name when I am not 'one of them.'"

Sash swallowed then reached forward and gently prodded my cheek like a curious child. "You feel human."

I sighed. "I'm not. According to the legends, I'm whatever you need me to be, except human. That's something I can't be. If you need a friend, I'll be your friend. If you need a guardian in the shadows, that's what I'll be. If you need a—to use the correct phrase—mate, then that's what I am."

"What about what _you_ need?" he asked softly. "What should come first?

I swallowed. "When I'm around you, all my instincts say you. But when I'm away from you, I know I should be more loyal to the children, to the werewolves—"

"The loup-garou," he said. "The lycans."

I nodded. "Yes, but my heart says you come first."

He leaned in and kissed me softly for a few seconds.

"I'd drop school and run off with you if you asked me, Leah. I know we haven't known each other long, but I don't care. I wish you could just be my girlfriend or whatever word you want to use." I was surprised when he put his arm around me and pulled me close. "But…but if you have a duty to your pack and to those kids…I can't take you from them. I won't let you be taken. I think an entire species is more important than just two people's happiness. But, I'll be there with you. Through it all, I promise. I might be just some ordinary, weak human, I might not be able to become an animal—which is totally awesome, by the way—and I don't care if I have to give up the life I've known. I'll be there with you, for you, I promise. I need you to be who you have to be. What do you want me to be?"

My lip trembled. "My friend, first and foremost."

He rested his head on mine. "Then that's what I am."

"And…you can be my lover too, if you want." I added quietly.

I felt him smile against my hair. "I think I might just do that."

We didn't speak for a long time after that. We just sat there as we were. He stroked my hair and I listened to his heartbeat. That was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to me. I wish I could've warned him of the impact of what he said. He'd sealed his fate and the fates of so many others in just a few simple words.

_He needs me to be who I have to be_. I had to be his protector. I had to be the kids' guardian. I had to be beta of Jacob's pack. Could I be all those at once? I had to try. It amazed me that in such a short time, I went from being miss independent to having lives depending on me.

"Can I see, Leah?" he murmured, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"See what?"

"You…change."

I nodded and pulled away from him. I started to take my top off and he made a quiet protesting noise. I ignored it and took it all the way off then slipped my shorts off, too. "I can phase with clothes on, but it ruins them." I explained. "We've all been phasing for so long that we don't care about having to strip down. Trust me, Sash, everyone in the pack has seen me naked at one time or another. I don't really care anymore."

He flushed and he still looked away while I pulled off my top and shorts and tossed them to his feet. I shifted my hair to hide most of my body from him.

"Ok, you can look."

He glanced to make sure then looked at me and I let the change happen.

I focused hard, trying to slow the change so he could see. My arms and legs lengthened, my body enlarged. My face stretched into a snout, my tail came out from my spine. I fell forward as my bones and fur sprouted from my body. All of that had taken maybe two seconds longer than normal, but he'd seen. I looked down to see Sash staring up at me in awe. I couldn't resist. I stamped my paws and threw my head back and howled as loud as I could. It reverberated off the trees and through the woods; animals ran and hid, screeching in fear, a nearby hunter fled.

When I was done the world was deathly silent, then Sash whistled loudly and clapped.

_Oh please. _I rolled my eyes and dropped down onto the ground. He walked over cautiously, as if he expected me to bite him and he sat down on the snow beside me. He gently ran his hands through the fur on my head and I closed my eyes in contentment.

"It's you," he whispered. "It's really…you. You're just in a different body."

I hummed softly and turned my head so I could bump my nose into his arm. He laughed and gently stroked my muzzle. After a minute of that, I jerked my head towards my back then looked at him pointedly.

"Do you want me to climb on?"

I nodded. He studied me nervously then nodded to himself. He put my top and shorts into his parka pocket then climbed onto my back and gently fixed his fingers into my fur. I waited until his grip was firm enough then I stood up and took off running.

He screamed and flattened himself against me. I coughed a laugh and tossed my head, but I didn't slow down. I went faster, my powerful paws plowing through the snow. I felt him raise his head slowly and he even sat up right when I took us out of the trees. I slowed down when we hit the mountains so he could see his surroundings, but only just. I was still going a good eighty miles an hour. He laughed and whooped loudly.

"Is this all you got?" he asked me.

_No, but if I go as fast as I can the wind will send you flying._ I launched myself forward, though, going faster than before. He laughed even harder as we ran through the open fields in the valley. He through his head back and howled loudly. I howled too.

"Leah! Keep your eyes ahead—_lookout!_"

Up ahead, and getting closer second, was a gorge. It was several yards wide and probably three times as deep. I pulled my lips back in a devious grin and turned my head to smirk at him and barked once.

"Leah…"

My legs propelled us towards the trench and I narrowed my eyes, judging how much power to put behind my jump.

"Leah…don't you dare…!"

_Or what?_ I snorted.

"_Leah!"_

I put all my strength into my hind legs and launched myself upward. Sash screamed as we sailed through the air, over the ravine, and several meters beyond. He flattened himself against my back again. Inside, I was laughing my head off. I landed gracefully on the ground and kept going.

"Wha? Ha! We're alive! Leah!" he gave me a sharp kick. "That wasn't funny!"

I smiled and kept running as the ground slanted upward. After about another minute of running, Sash sighed. "Can we stop, now?"

I nodded and gradually slowed to a walk so he wouldn't be thrown off. He rested his head on mine and rubbed my neck. "That was better than roller coaster." He told me.

I coughed a laugh.

I lowered myself to the ground so he could climb off. "Any idea where we are?" he asked and turned back just as I started to phase back.

My body shrank and my arms and legs shortened; my tail retreated, my ears rounded and my muzzle flattened back into a human face. My fur receded and on my head it lengthened and turned black again.

"That is so cool," he breathed and tossed me my clothes. I dressed quickly.

I smiled. "To you, maybe, to me it's completely normal."

He smiled. "So, you were born with this ability? You just couldn't use it?"

I nodded and sat down beside him.

"So…are you…venomous?" he asked and I knew right away where he was going.

"No, Sash, I can't change you into a shape-shifter. It's all in the genes."

"Oh," he looked downcast.

I tilted my head and studied him carefully. He was just a human, a human with a fierce desire to be something else. A human who looked capable of being more than just a human. A human that, despite all warnings, instinct, and common sense, is willing to devote himself to a pack of wolves and a coven of vampires. What fueled him on here? It…couldn't be…just me…. Was it the kids, too, and a species on the brink of extinction? Or, was it the hope that, possibly, he could become something more than human. Hell, of course it was all three. He loved the kids to death, he cared for me a lot, and he wanted to be one of us.

"Sash…" I trailed off and he looked up at me again.

"The only thing you could become is a vampire and you don't want that. You'd always be thirsty for blood, you'd never be able to eat again, you'd be frozen as you are forever, and…it hurts. The Cullens describe it as the most intense pain in the world multiplied by a thousand. Like deadly hot fire burning through your system for three days. You'll beg for death."

Sash's face went unhealthily pale and I reminded him to breathe. When he did, it was shaky and slow.

"You would be better help as a human." I told him. "You're a human for a reason, Sash Hunter, just as we are what we are for a reason. You are in neutral ground right now, Sash. As a human, you have no set side in the feud. Not all vampires are like the Cullens. A lot are bloodthirsty and reckless like the duo we killed to save you. And the Volturi are—oh God!" I chocked off and pressed my fist to my mouth. "Oh God, oh God no…!"

"What is it?" Sash looked around instinctively.

I did, too, then shook my head. "No, no…you're fine…they can't be mad…" I was mostly convincing myself. "The Volturi say no humans can know about vampires, but our imprints always know…as long as they don't find out…yeah…and you won't…" I trailed off and shook my head again.

Sash was still confused but, sensing an impending breakdown, he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me protectively against him. I curled up and just rested my head on his chest

"I want to get home," I said sometime later. "Come on, I smell a storm coming. We need to go." I pulled away and slipped my clothes off and handed them to him again. I phased quickly and he climbed on, then we were off again, racing across the Alaskan terrain at impossible speeds.

"You're amazing, Leah." I heard him say. "You really are."

* * *

**Well, I couldn't just rip someone from Leah again! She might just go off the deep end and I need a sane(ish) Leah for this story to work!**


	30. Welcome to the Family, Brother

******Well, I couldn't just rip someone from Leah again! She might just go off the deep end and I need a sane(ish) Leah for this story to work!**

* * *

**Leah**

"Be quiet," I breathed as we stepped into the house. "Everyone's still sleeping."

"Sleeping? Why?"

I smiled just a bit. "We were up all night. We're not machines. We need sleep, too." My body decided to prove it and I yawned against my will.

Sash made a face. "And I kept you out for a few hours. I'm sorry."

I shrugged. "It's alright. I've been awake for three days straight before. You'd be surprised how far we can go if we have to. But there's nothing wrong with sleeping regularly."

He didn't respond and headed for the couch.

"What are you doing?" I whispered. He bit his lip and blushed a bit. "You can come down to the den, you know. We don't bite."

Sash hesitated, then nodded and followed me downstairs. When we reached the den I sighed. Everyone was awake, albeit drowsy, and looking at us. The kids were rubbing their eyes and yawning. Luna sighed and put her head back down on the pillows. Sash's eyes were mesmerized as he stared at my brother, packmates, and kids. Sensing the tension, the kids became fully alert instantly, even Luna who looked like she wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep.

"It's ok," I said, breaking the silence. "He's okay."

Sash smiled a bit nervously.

Jacob stood up and walked over. Directly in front of Sash, he towered over him by a good six inches, but Sash met his gaze evenly, almost challengingly. Jacob tilted his head and his eyes appraised Sash like…like an alpha wolf surveying a lone wolf who'd wandered onto the pack's territory. I growled softly. Jacob's eyes flashed to me for half a second. After what felt like ages, he smiled and thumped Sash on the back. "Welcome to the family, brother."

I exhaled in relief.

His words triggered an explosion. The kids scurried over, some more slowly than others, and started talking eagerly and hugging him. Seth, Quil, and Embry moved in, too. They shook Sash's hand, gave him quick hugs, punched his arm lightly, and thumped his back a bit. It was like he was meeting them for the first time or something. In a way, he was. The kid's eyes were still tinted silver-gray from the full moon. It made them look less human. More like werewolves. Sash noticed and kept staring.

"So, tell me who the rest of them are." Sash pointed to the wall.

Neve scurried over like a mouse and pointed at the wolf mural. She pointed out each of us, then her brothers and sisters, explaining how their hair matched their fur, then pointed to each of Sam's pack as she said their names. "That's Uncle Paul, Uncle Jared, Uncle Daniel, Uncle Collin, Uncle Brady, Aunt Rea and Aunt Lily. Oh, and this is Uncle Sam. He's Alpha."

"The twins are trying to leave the pack," Quil said suddenly. "Their family is moving."

"Oh," I frowned. "Why?"

Quil looked uncomfortable. "They've been staying out later and later and being reckless. The parents have finally had enough. They've been ordered to be normal again."

Jacob, Seth, and I stared.

"Can they do that?" Sash asked. "Can their parents just…_make_ them be human again? Were they ever even human? I mean, how can their parents make them something they're not?"

"They're trying," Embry growled. "And Sam tried to order them to ignore their parents command, but then he got chewed out and he had to revoke the order. But now they've decided that making their kids human isn't enough. They're moving to Florida—as far from us as possible. Sam gave the girls no official order, but he advised them to obey their parents."

"They are trying to give their wolves up," Quil added. "But Lily's only lasted seven days without getting too ticked to stay human and Rea lasted barely five days. They're really messed up about it. Lily wishes she could give it up for a few years then come back."

"Is that possible?" Sash asked. I smiled proudly.

"Taha Aki did it." Seth pointed out. "But he'd just lost his imprint."

Jacob had been silent the whole time. "I…I think I'll go back with you guys and talk to them."

"What will that do?" Sash asked.

"Remember my story, Sash?" I said. "Jacob is the true Alpha of La Push and his dad's one of the elders. He might be able to do something."

Sash appraised Jacob for a few moments then shrugged. "Good luck, I guess."

Jacob smiled.

It wouldn't have been more official if someone had made it a rule. Sash was one of us. The human in Jacob's pack—the new human of the Cullen coven by extent. And Sash liked that just fine. For the rest of the day, he'd helped us the best he could. When I finally had to crash, he'd gone up to the kitchen and made lunch. After lunch the others decided to show off their fur so Sash would be able to tell us all apart. He created theories about why our pelts were the colors they were, and he repeated his gray fur theory.

Scuro, Luna, and Neve were a little offended, claiming that they weren't like that, until he suggested that maybe it wasn't the same for werewolves. That worked for them. I had to agree. After all, as Alice often said, the future isn't set in stone. There was no guarantee of how they would be while living whereas shape-shifters had been alive for years before the first change and therefore their personalities had been determined. For werewolves it was probably genetic.

That night, he was ready to lead the kids outside for their phasing time, but I explained that it was only on the nights that the moon was fullest that they _had_ to phase. Sash frowned.

"Are you sure?"

I raised my eyebrows and he checked himself.

"I mean, wouldn't it be good for them?"

I shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not, but we can't leave you here alone all night. Once a night run starts, we usually don't stop till dawn, especially this close to the full moon."

He smiled a bit sheepishly. "Can I come, then?"

I shook my head. "No, no, it's too dangerous. We're really…wolfish then, though we still keep most of our human thoughts. It would be exceedingly…difficult to carry you. I would constantly have to check my speed and make sure you don't get crushed, smacked, thrown off, or worse."

"But…but I held on fine earlier!" he protested, his lip jutting out in a pout. The sight made me laugh which made the pout more prominent.

"Sash," I said gently. "Compared to how fast I can go, that wasn't fast at all. I can run faster than anyone in the packs. Jacob once said it was the only thing I claimed."

He raised his eyebrows.

"We run faster than vampires, Sash, and vampires can move so fast most humans can't see them. If I were to go my full speed the wind would crush you, if it didn't blow you off my back first."

He didn't ask again. The boy learned fast.

About an hour later, he started to jump every time the floor creaked. When asked why, he said the house was starting seem like a crypt. The vampire's keep. The boys got a real hoot out of that and I glared dangerously at them. I gave them hell about it later. Finally, Seth decided to be nice and explained that the vampires were away hunting and that it was alright even when they were all in the house.

"It's more…homey then." He decided.

Sash still didn't seem convinced. So it was for his sake that we all slept in the den again. He called his mom, telling her everything was great and he was doing fine. He said the kids were full of surprises and that he met our cousins who came to visit. Ignorant to our situation, his mother believed every word of it. By some silent agreement, the kids moved away from Sash and I and flopped down between Quil, Embry, Jacob, and Seth who had claimed the opposite end of the big bed of pillows and blankets.

I curled up under the covers and watched Sash settle down a good three feet from me. And they say chivalry is dead.

As I tried to drift into dreamland, I was aware of someone's eyes on me. When the sensation didn't leave, I opened my eyes quickly, startling Sash. His eyelids opened and closed rapidly for a second, his heart sped up, then slowed down and he relaxed.

"Easy there," I whispered.

He let out a breath and smiled.

"I could tell you were watching me."

"Is that a wolf thing?"

I shrugged. "We have a heightened awareness of our surroundings; comes with the whole upgraded senses thing. You know that feeling you get when someone's watching you? It's just a bit stronger for us."

"Oh."

"Can't sleep?" I guessed.

He shook his head.

"There aren't any vampire bats in the belfry." I teased. "They won't be home till tomorrow. The full moon has passed and you're surrounded by super strong wolves. Wolves fight as a pack, protect the weaker."

"Weaker? Thanks."

"You _are_ weaker, Sash."

He rolled his eyes. "How much?"

I slipped out of the covers and jumped up. Then I reached down, fixing my fingers into the collar of his shirt, and hoisted him high over my head. He gasped and looked down at me, then the ground, then at me again. My arm didn't even quiver. I set him down with ease then sat back down. "You were as heavy as a child's book. To vampires, you'd be a twig."

Sash swallowed nervously. "I really got myself into something deep, didn't I?"

I nodded.

"Much deeper than you're telling me." It wasn't a question and I didn't see any good coming from lying. So I nodded. He sighed and put his face in his hands. "How much?" his voice was muffled by his hands.

"Centuries old grudge, mass extermination, war…" I trailed off.

He sighed again. "I'll go get my shotgun."

I burst out laughing and fell onto my side.

"Whozdat!" Partially incoherent, Seth jumped onto his hands and knees. Jacob, Quil, and Embry were awake, too, and Luna had raised her head, frowning in annoyance.

"Go…go back to…sleep…guys!" I gasped out. "It's nothing."

Luna, Seth, Quil, and Jake were only too happy to comply and their heads hit the pillows again. Embry, however, yawned. "Wuz so funny?"

"Sash thinks he's gonna take on the Volturi with a shotgun."

Embry snorted once. "Good luck with that, man." Then he flopped back down. I waited until they started snoring again before I turned back to a rather embarrassed Sash.

"A shotgun isn't going to do it." I told him. "To kill a vampire you have to rip them apart and burn the pieces. Or…just burning them might work, I'm not sure. Either way…you don't need shotgun. You need a flamethrower."

He leaned forward seriously. "Where can I get one?" I had to stop myself from laughing again. Then I realized how damn serious he was. I suppressed a sigh. Males. They just couldn't wait to throw themselves into a fight. Alright, that's a bit hypocritical on my part, but still.

"If it comes to that, leave it to Jasper." I finally told him, wanting to end this discussion before it turned down less pleasant avenues. "He's the military expert. Now go to sleep, little human. We'll talk more tomorrow. I'm exhausted."

"You took a huge nap this afternoon!" he protested.

I smiled and crawled back under my covers. "Goodnight, Sash." I said pointedly.

I heard him sigh, then the creaking of the mattress as he lay down and the rustling of his sheets as he pulled them over himself. I was sure he was watching me again, but his gaze wasn't so piercing and I was able to drift to sleep.

The next morning, the too-icy-sweet smell of vampires woke me up. I jerked awake and stared at the small face above me. After a moment, my eyes and nose coordinated and told my brain who was above me and I relaxed.

"Hey, Nessie."

"They're awake!" she shouted.

Quil and Embry jolted awake, the kids shot up in alarm, and Sash yelped, pulling the covers over his head. Seth sighed loudly. At the sound of his imprints voice, Jacob sat up. He looked around for her and when he spotted her near me he sighed tragically.

"You like Leah more. I see how it is, Nessie." He pretended to be hurt. Nessie giggled and scurried over to hug him. "Hey, Jake.

"Did you have fun, Nessie?" Jacob asked and became oblivious to the world as Renesmee started telling him about the huge buck she'd brought down alone. It was at least a thirty point. Sensing a good story, the five kiddies sat up to listen.

Sash finally peered out from under the covers. I laughed. His hair was all scruffy. He frowned, obviously knowing what amused me, and smoothed his hair down a bit. He sat up and looked at Renesmee curiously. I watched how his eyes took in the imprinted pair.

"And how does he know that, Leah?" Edward appeared in the doorway looking furious. He glared at me.

"He saw us phase—the moon two nights ago. We forgot and…he saw. I had to tell him." I said. "I told him everything."

Edward's face went blank as Sash looked up at him. The whole house seemed to hold its breath, even Nessie was quiet. Finally, Edward called for Carlisle and the doctor was there a second later. Sash's eyes flipped wide.

"Everything?" Carlisle checked. Edward nodded. The doctor sighed and looked down at Sash. "Your grandfather wasn't as crazy as he seemed. We are vampires, but we don't hurt humans. We try to protect them if possible. This is why we are able to have an alliance with the wolves. Otherwise, we are mortal enemies."

Sash snorted and pointed to Jake and Nessie. "Obviously."

Carlisle chuckled.

The next few hours were a little tense as Sash was properly introduced to each of the Cullens. He got a brief summary of their stories. They filled him on the vampire basics, even though I'd already told him, and explained the Volturi. And the rule about keeping the secret, the rule we had to break when telling him. None of them mentioned the penalty for knowing. I wasn't ready for him to know that yet. I kept my distance the whole time. I wanted him to focus on their words and not on me. It was imperative that he knew.

But when he blurted out a crazy idea…

"You should talk to my grandparents."

I was at his side in a heartbeat and he had the undivided attention of the entire household. Sash looked around, obviously surprised at the effect his words had had. "What?"

"That's…that's crazy!" I sputtered.

Evidently Carlisle didn't think so, because three hours later we were standing in the trees in front of Sash's house while the human teenager went inside, calling for his Pap and Nana. The rest of his family were in town so it couldn't have worked any better. We stood in a tense line, Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Jacob, Seth, and I. No matter how I may have felt about the situation, the look on Pap's face when he saw us was nothing short of priceless.

"Hello. My name is Carlisle Cullen." Carlisle smiled. "Sash here tells me that you've been telling him we're vampires."

Nana looked ready to have a heart attack.

But Carlisle continued on pleasantly, "Let's talk, shall we?"


	31. Different

**Warning: Kinda confusing XD so don't read if you're distracted or half asleep.**

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

A memory, that's all the gene was. Extinct, gone. No more wolves.

"_It died out a hundred years ago." Nana said. "Of course you cannot phase."_

"_But…"_

"_You never would've had a chance, Alexander." Pap said. "Females rarely inherit the wolf gene. Leah here is an anomaly. Your great great grandmother, she had the gene, but she only had daughters. Only one received it from her. You aren't a descendant of that one. She had only a daughter and she never phased. And the daughter's son never changed. You don't have the gene. No one does. It's gone, lost. These young changelings here are the some of the last wolf changelings."_

"_Well, what if I just go around a bunch of vampires or something?"_

"_Don't be silly, Alexander__." Nana said._ "_You cannot activate something that just isn't there. Your father tried. Look what happened to him."_

"You've been with the Cullens long enough. You've had enough emotional stress. Face it, Sash, you're not a shape-shifter. This tribe lost its shape-shifters," I told Sash as we walked through the trees.

The others had gone back hours previously—Jacob was probably on his way back to La Push by now with Quil and Embry—and I had stayed with Sash. He didn't want to be alone.

Sash sighed.

"But it makes sense." I added. "You and Penny always seemed…" I searched for the right word.

"Like you?" Sash asked quietly.

"You seemed different." I shrugged. "It's kind of funny, now that I look back; I see that everyone who ended up being shape-shifters always looked…different than the others in the tribe. You and your sister have that aura. But they're right. Without the gene it's hopeless."

Hopeless. Ugh. I didn't like how that sounded.

"You think my ancestry is the reason you imprinted on me?"

I shrugged. "Who knows? Tell you what. If I ever meet who ever is responsible for determining imprints, I'll ask them and then let you know."

* * *

Understanding. Some people are good at it, some aren't. Some can understand some things. Some things can't. Some things can be understood by all. And some by none. But, understanding is acceptance. And when you didn't accept something new in the first place, how can it be accepted when you find out it's more different than you thought?

"_A wolf?" Penny snorted. _

"_It's true." I said. "I'm a wolf. You would be, too, if you had the gene. You and Sash."_

"_That's the craziest thing I've ever…you…" she stared at my face and her brother's. "You really believe this, Sash?"_

"_I've seen her do it."_

"It was born into me."

_Penny shook her head. "Bull shit." she turned her angry gaze on me. "Thanks for fucking up my brother's brain."_

"It's what I am."

"_I didn't do anything to him!" I protested at the same time Sash snapped, "Don't speak to her like that!"_

_Penny snorted again and turned to leave, heading for the clearing where her home was, where she could pretend she lived in a _normal_ world with only _normal_ humans and _normal _animals. Sash gave me a look that clearly said _help_! I sighed. Why Sash wanted his sister in on it I'll never know, but I could tell my imprint really wanted it. And when the imprint wants something the wolf delivers._

_I yanked my shirt and shorts off and jumped, phasing as I went. I landed in front of her, blocking her path. _

"I have no choice."

_Her scream echoed through the trees._

"And you brought my brother into it why? Why couldn't you have just left us all _alone_? We were perfectly fine before you came." Penny spat after we explained the story. Screw wolf, she'd be a wolverine. I seem to recall Billy telling Jake the same thing about me once. Hmm. Guess two wolverines of the same gender can't live in the same territory. Or be around the same male.

I fingered the hem of my boy shorts. "It's a wolf thing."

"Bull shit!" she snarled. "Tell the truth!"

I stood and drew myself up to full height. She stood, too. Even though I was one of the smallest Quileute wolves, I still towered over Sash's obviously human sister. She didn't seem to really care, but I saw a flicker of fear in her dark eyes. _Alpha female, bitch._

"Because he is my soul mate and I have a bond with him that you'll never understand." _Shit, I barely understand it myself. _

Penny bared her teeth. I'd seen many humans do this, I'd even done it myself before I phased for the first time, but the act was so wolfish it startled me.

"Then why did you tell me anything?"

I looked at Sash but spoke to her. "He wanted you to know."

Penny glared at him and backed away from us. "Yeah, well thanks for that, bro. I'm out of here. I want nothing to do with any of this shit. Thanks for fucking up my life. I'm gonna end up in some mental hospital now. You stay the hell away from me…_freak_!" she spat at me then stormed away.

"Penny!" Sash cried, reaching out for his sister. She flipped us off, not looking back once as she walked back to her home.

Sash sighed and then let out a wordless scream of frustration.

* * *

Not wolf. Not human. Something in between. Powerful, spiritual…different.

'_Elements? No not possible.'_

'_Very possible, though it doesn't happen often, I can sense it already. They're all special, different. Watch them. The elements will come soon enough. Water, fire, wind, earth…'_

'_But…how?'_

'_Watch and see.'_

'_That's _not _what I meant._'

_His laugh rang through the trees._

Rame stood in the middle of the yard, the wind swirling around him, bringing the snowflakes off the ground. My son stood, like a figure in a snow globe, oblivious to the world around him.

* * *

How are we so "different"?  
If "different" is just a thing.  
If we all have certain features,  
What does "different" bring?

People filled with hatred,  
Can't possibly see,  
That there's not really "differences"  
Between you and me.

Looks can't show "difference",  
If they're just there to be seen.  
If you don't look like someone else,  
Why are they so mean?

If being "different" is what is wrong,  
I'd rather not be right.  
And I'd want to finish living,  
Doing the "different" fight.

~ Vincen Tabatha

* * *

***peers around* did I lose anyone back there?**

**Yeah, I know some of you were looking forward to the whole confrontation with Pap and Nana, but I decided you didn't need to see what transpired. Not yet, anyway :P**

**Now, this is an important time of year. Not because of the birds and the bees, but because it was right about this time last year that Children of the Moon first started to form in my mind. AND because I was just starting to come to terms with my recent hand injury and I was learning what the recovery would entail.**


	32. Elementals

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah **

"Rame…" I whispered.

Rame turned to face me, blinking slowly. I felt the breeze stir around me as he did. It was warm, inviting.

"Rame, come inside." I whispered, starting to feel panicked.

"Why, Mama?" he asked curiously. The wind flickered around him innocently, still inviting.

"Come here." I ordered sharply.

He looked confused, but took a step towards me, than another, and another. The wind hit me and it felt like summer air. And when he was close enough, I pulled him close and wrapped my arms around him firmly. The wind died down and the summery presence vanished.

That was the first sign of the elemental bonds. The second one to show the signs was Luna.

We were up in the living room one night and it was nearing eleven o'clock. I knew they shouldn't have been up that late, but we were having a living room camp out with Nessie. We would've had it in the den, but we needed a fireplace to roast marshmallows. So Emmett, Jasper, and Edward had cleared the living room and got a fire lit under the mantle and Carlisle, Rosalie, and Alice got sturdy blanket-and-chair tents set up. The kids had been so excited. I would've invited Sash, but it was a school night for him and he had finals coming up.

So anyway, it was getting close to eleven and we'd about had all the smores and campout treats we could. Mind you, we must've gone through 10 bags of marshmallows, 20 boxes of gram crackers, and more chocolate bars than I care to count. Plus several dozen packs of hot dogs. Jacob, using his expert storytelling skills, was retelling the old elder story of how the Quileute tribe came to be. I have to admit, I've thought this story was nonsense since I was ten. Now, with all the crazy stuff I've seen and heard I'm not so sure.

I was enraptured by Jacob's tale just as the six kids, Seth, Bella, Emmett, and Alice where. To this day I'm not sure what made me glance over at her. Maybe I'd subconsciously sensed something was off, maybe it was habit. Whatever the reason, I looked over at Luna and I swear my heart stopped beating for a second.

She had the body and the intellect of a nine-year-old and she'd known since infancy that fire was dangerous and she wasn't supposed to mess with it unless it was necessary. Yet her little hand was still extended towards the flames, her fingers perilously close to the tongues of fire. All the air had rushed out of my chest and my throat had gone very dry so my cry of "Luna!" was a throaty rasp. But everyone had heard me, except Luna, and all heads turned to see her hand penetrate the flames.

"Luna!" Bella and Seth shouted at the same time, but no one moved. Everyone was glued to the spot out of shock and fear and disbelief.

I suppose her screams of pain would've been what launched us all from our seats, but they never came. Luna giggled. Delighted. Entertained. Peaceful.

She moved her hand around in the flame and put her arm in deeper. Her clothing started to smoke. Noticing this, she pulled her arm back and patted the blackened edges of her nightshirt. I'm not quite sure how I made the strangled gasping cry that burst out of my mouth, but it got her attention and she turned. Surprise flickered in her eyes.

"Oh? Is the story done?" she asked, completely unaware that the attention of the entire residence was on her tiny arm that was defying all laws of nature. If I hadn't been determined to get her arm out of that fire—which I did—I think I would've fainted.

The next element to pick one of the kids was earth and it picked Neve. I suppose it's odd that Neve got earth, considering her name and personality. Whatever the reason, she never complained once.

Though hers was probably the least startling to discover, it was still a shock. A week after Rame and three days after Luna, and we were all just waiting to see who would do something freaky next.

I hadn't seen Neve in almost an hour so I followed her scent outside. As her scent got stronger, so did an all-too-familiar smell. I'd smelt it months ago when I had been in the Forest of the Moon. I hurried through Esme's garden. She would start planting soon and this whole place would smell like what I could smell now. I ended up in the back, beyond the porch swing, almost at the woods.

There was a tiny meadow.

It was late April, snow still covered the ground, and in a small open space, a very circular area had lost all its snow and now fresh, bright green grass had sprung up and so had an assortment of flowers that Esme had in her garden. And, in the middle of it all, Neve lay sleeping. At least, she looked asleep. She was so peaceful and serene, a gentle smile on her face.

"Neve?" I whispered.

Her eyes fluttered open. "Hi, Mama." she said quietly.

I took a shuddering breath and my eyes flicked around her little meadow again.

Uncertainty flashed in her eyes and she turned her head to look at the grass. She sat up, leaning back on her hands and craned her neck to see fully. "Did I do this?"

I nodded. "I think so."

She laughed breathlessly and grinned. "Huh."

Two kids left, and only one element undecided. I thought Scuro would somehow be connected with water and Alba wouldn't, then it would be two boys and two girls. I think most of the others thought so, too. Boy, were we wrong. Alba and Scuro didn't show up for lunch two days later. _This is it._ I thought. _One of them found the element._

I figured the best place to go for something to do with water would be the pool. Granted it wasn't big or deep on any standards—maybe 20 by 30 feet, and four feet deep—but it was the biggest water source in the entire house. Sure enough, when I opened the door, I was assaulted by the scents of chlorine and Alba and Scuro. I closed the door behind me and I crept down carefully. If there was some mystical mumbo jumbo going on then I wanted to see it.

When I got down there I spotted them almost instantly. They were sitting on the edge of the pool. They had shorts on and their bare legs were in the water. Well, I should say the water was _on them_. It was clinging to their legs all the way up to the hem of their shorts, higher than the rest of the water. Funnels of water encasing their legs… I wondered if they could stand on it.

Alba reached her hand down to the oddly calm surface of the water. The closer her hand got, the more the water seemed to rise under her palm. Her hand penetrated the skin of the water. Nothing happened. Really. No spirals of water shot up, no mighty waves formed, no funnels encased her arm. Nothing. _Very_ climactic, don't you agree?

She didn't seem disappointed.

Alba drew her hand back and the water followed, clinging to her hand until she'd pulled it too far and the water released her sank back down. She put her hand back and the water rose up to meet it. Scuro lifted his leg up and the water funnel dropped, surrendering his limb. When he put it down again, the water reattached itself to his leg and crept up to the edge of his shorts. Not capturing them, no. More like, welcoming them. Shielding them.

"Scuro, Alba." I called softly.

They both looked up and smiled.

"It likes me, Mama." Scuro said cheerfully.

I nodded. "I can see that."

"It's our friend." Alba added, kicking her legs. The water let her move freely, but returned to her legs the moment they were still.

"Well, it's time for lunch." I said brightly, smiling to hide the WTF expression that was dying to make an appearance.

They glanced at each other, then back at me. "We don't want to leave." they said at the same time.

I put my hands on my hips and frowned. That usually worked, just not that time. "It's time for lunch." I repeated firmly.

"We don't want to—"

I cut Alba off sharply, "Now."

She winced. "The water doesn't want us to go."

That threw me off. "What?"

"The water doesn't want us to go." Scuro said. "It likes us here."

"Y—you can _hear it?_" And the WTF expression finally showed on my face.

Scuro shrugged and said "No" at the same time Alba said "Yes." They glanced at each other then shrugged again.

* * *

I knocked on the door more quickly than I'd meant to. It sounded like a woodpecker. I was shaking so badly I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to stay in human form. Hell, I wasn't sure how I'd managed to change back and get my clothes on. I silently prayed that Sash or one of his family members that liked me to open the door.

Apparently God had decided to ignore me because it was Penny who answered the door. She was grinning ear to ear until she saw me. Clearly she'd been expecting someone else. Her smile vanished instantly and her face hardened.

"Leah."

I nodded, waiting.

"Do you want something?"

"Obviously," I bared my teeth, reminding her that I was not as human as I looked.

She raised her nose in distaste. "This is the _human_ door. The doggy door is around back. You can use that."

She swung the door but my hand shot out and stopped it before it could shut. She recoiled, blinking rapidly, then scowled again. "Go away."

"Where's Sash?" I asked.

She folded her arms. "Go away."

"Where. Is. Sash?"

"What's it to you?"

"Damn it, Penelope!" I snarled and a tremor rocked through my body. I took a few deep breaths, letting them out between my teeth, until the red haze vanished and the heat was reduced. She looked alarmed and I could smell fear wafting from her.

"Just tell me where he is." I said flatly.

She pursed her lips and gritted her teeth. "Go away." she finally said.

That did it.

I snarled harshly and the tremors returned. I doubled over and I almost phased right then and there, but Sash's voice broke through the roaring in my ears.

"Leah! Leah! Calm down!"

Teeth clenched and bared, I looked up to see Sash standing not far behind Penny. Penny cursed quietly and glared at her brother.

He could see me losing it and we'd told him time and time again what would happen if I lost control. Sash rushed past Penny and put his arm around me, lifting my shaking body up. He shoved me away from the house, more forcefully than necessary, and I toppled down into the snow. I lay there, panting, as the snow sizzled around me. The sound calmed me down, as did Sash's voice from inside the house.

"—freaking stop this! She could've killed you or worse!"

"Tell her to stay away from me!"

"When _you_ answer the door, how can she?"

"That freak doesn't need to be here! You need to get the fuck over her, Sash, and find someone normal!"

"Penelope!"

I sighed and tried to tune them out. A few minutes later, Sash came out wearing his parka. He plopped down beside me and patted my arm.

"You alright?"

"It's nothing new for me." I said. "I used to lose control all the time. I'm getting very good at staying in my skin, but I was already riled. Look, I need to talk to Pap and Nana."

Sash's face changed from compassionate curiosity to hard and alarmed. "What's wrong?"

I sat up and quickly explained the brief conversation I'd had with Fango, his warning that the elements would "come," and the bonds the kids had suddenly developed with the elements. Sash's mouth fell open near the beginning and didn't shut till the end.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You weren't around." I said. "And I didn't know it this crazy. It was _talking _to them, Sash. The water was responding to them like it was a living, breathing being!"

He frowned. "And why do you think my grand 'rents can help?"

"Remember? Your Nana said they knew a lot about old myths and werewolf stuff. Maybe there's a legend that can explain what's happening."

He nodded slowly. "They went home to check on the renovations, but they should be back later. Want to hang at the tree house till they get back?"

I shook my head. "No, this can't wait."

"Leah, you can't track them—well, maybe _you could_, but don't." he stood up and held out his hand. "Please."

I sighed, defeated, and accepted his hand. We spent the next few hours together in the tree house, most of that time was spent talking and calming me down whenever I got jumpy.

"So, my mom's birthday is in two days." I said. "Will you come down? She wants to meet you."

Sash nodded, "Of course."

"Charlie will be there." I warned. "Plus Sam and Emily and their lil' tots, Quil, Embry, and Sam's pack."

He shrugged his shoulders. "So?"

So…what? I wasn't sure.

About fifteen minutes later, my phone rang and when I hit 'accept' Alice's voice came from the speaker. "They just got back to his house."

"Hello to you, too, Alice."

"I just thought you should know. It's so _nice_ being able to see some things again."

"Yeah, thanks Alice. How are they behaving?"

"Well enough. Neve is trying to make flowers grow. It's not working."

I smiled. "Alright, just make sure she doesn't start an earthquake. I'm going to try to get to the bottom of this."

"Good luck!" there was a _click_ and the line went dead.

"Let's go." I said. I stuffed the phone in my pocket then jumped out of the tree.

My nerves returned the moment my feet hit the ground. So much so that I decided human speed wasn't enough. Sash's brain wouldn't have had time to comprehend the fact he was on the ground before I slung him onto my back and sprinted off. His heartbeat shot up like a rocket until he realized what'd happened and calmed down. He grumbled angrily and poked my shoulder relentlessly as a light punishment.

"Ok, ok, I get it! Cut it out."

At his house, Sash went inside to get his grandparents while I waited under the cover of the trees. The door opened and Nana appeared. She carefully made her way across the yard and then stopped.

"Leah?" she looked around.

"Here," I called and her head turned. I watched her eyes scan the foliage and a smile graced her features when she spotted me lurking in the shadows cast by the bushes. She walked towards me and when she reached me, she extended her hand. I smiled but stood up by myself.

She really was a beautiful woman. She didn't look ageless, but still she was pretty. Her hair was miraculously still dark, though scored with many thin silver streaks and her eyes were dark orbs of, well, light. Ironic, huh?

"Where's Pap, Nana?"

Technically, their names were Ruth and John, but like Sash, I preferred to call them Pap and Nana.

"I volunteered to come alone," she said simply. "Let's take a walk."

We started off into the woods. I noticed she kept her hands tucked behind her back. This made me smile. The position was neither offensive nor defensive. She trusted me to not attack her and to defend her, if needed. She was right.

"Alexander said it was important and had to do with…your heritage." She began.

"Not mine; the werewolves'." I said.

"Oh." The hint of a frown appeared on her face. "What's happening?"

"They've each suddenly… like…bonded with an element." I said and her face turned from slight disapproval to blank shock.

I sighed. Why had I expected any different?

"Elementals," she whispered and took a few shaky steps forward and sat down on a fallen snow-covered log. I sat beside her and watched her carefully. She looked deep in thought and I didn't want to distract her.

"Leah," she finally said. "John and I couldn't identify you the first time we saw you because you lack the traditional branding of a werewolf and the eyes of a vampire."

"Brandings?"

"Yes." she said. "At birth, every werewolf is given a special mark. Like a tattoo, but designed to not come off even with their miraculous healing."

"The kids don't have brands."

"No, but if they lived with werewolves, they would. Oh—no I didn't mean anything by that." she added when she caught sight of my face. "But I'm just trying to explain this to you. No matter what they are, mutt or pureblood, they all have the brand. Pureblooded werewolves have pure werewolf for five generations of their ancestry and everyone else is a type of mutt. There are Halflings, half werewolf half something else; mixed-bloods, werewolf and two other species; then actual mutts which have werewolf and three other species in their direct bloodline. There are also Crescents. But I'm not getting into those unlucky souls. One type of werewolf is called an Elemental. They are so rare but no matter what their ancestry says, they're considered pureblooded. I have never met one nor do I know anyone who does. Until now."

"What's an Elemental?"

"Werewolves gifted with an extra sense, I guess you could say. There are five, correct? So, someone shares an element with a sibling, correct?"

"Yes."

"Which one?"

"Water."

"Hmm. Who do you think has the sense for earth?"

"Neve."

Nana tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Why do you think so?"

"She was lying in a tiny flowery meadow that hadn't been there that morning."

She laughed and nodded. "Yes, yes, she's an Elemental alright. And the water ones, what about them?"

"I found Alba and Scuro sitting on the side of the pool with the water clinging to their legs. I watched it cling to their hands when they got close enough to the surface…and they said they could hear it talking. Well, Scuro said he couldn't but Alba said she could."

"They do hear it in their minds." Nana said. "They all should. I assume the child who received fire touched it in some way?"

I nodded. "Luna. But only her skin seemed fine. Her clothes got scorched."

"Yes. Yes. And that leaves Rame, right? He got wind."

"Yes."

She was silent for a minute, then she laughed out loud. The sound was exhilarating. "Thank the spirits!"

"What?"

Nana stopped laughing and put her hands on my shoulders. "According to legend, Elemental wolves represent great things. Every Elemental is destined to do something remarkable. The last Elemental was born five hundred years ago. Her name was…ah, yes, her name was Aldia."

The name seemed familiar, but I couldn't place it, and I knew this would bug me until I remembered where I'd heard it.

"What was hers?"

"Air," she said wistfully then she sighed and her face got serious. "Now, let's get this straight. They cannot control the elements like on that silly kids show my grandchildren used to watch. But they can work together with the elements. Everything has a spirit, I'm sure you know that. All the legends of the tribes say so and they're right. The elements are comprised of many spirits all working together in one big Spirit. If the Spirit of the element is willing, the Elemental can influence it physically."

"Meaning…?"

"Meaning if Neve wished it and the earth Spirit saw good reason, the ground would split for her."

I paled. "And Alba and Scuro…?"

"They could draw back a flood if the Spirit of water saw good reason." Nana said somewhat proudly. "But it's all about compromise and harmony. The spirits know the cycle of life and death. They cannot stop it for the will of an Elemental unless the will is for a purpose besides the general welfare of people, meaning if it is for the direct benefit of the Elemental itself. Like, Rame could convince the Spirit of the wind to spare you from a blizzard because he and his siblings need you."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Yes, amazing, isn't it? Just make sure they don't try anything stupid and you'll be fine." she assured me.

Thankfully, she was right. It did get fairly easier over the next two days. I explained to the kids everything Nana had told me—except for the whole ranking and branding business—and warned them to be smart about their decisions like the big boys and girls they were. And I warned them to be careful around our visitors in the morning because it would really scare them.

Even though they didn't find their new gifts odd at all, they seemed to realize how uneasy they made the rest of us, and they conceded.

* * *

**Aldia**

Words cannot explain the pure joy that is singing in world.

The air rejoices, the water dances, fire frolics unseen, but definitely there, and the very earth moves with joy. The elements are alive and happy and I can feel them.

Elementals have come again.

And, better yet, I can sense the spirits of my prophesized ones and the ones who will make everything fall into place. They all have been born into this world. The Warrior and the Dreamer. The one who is hot as fire, the one who is cold as ice. The one who will be lost. The one who is doomed to die. The one who will betray them all. And the one who will redeem.

It will be soon. Celbra says that they will come for me when they need me. I will wait for them.

* * *

**To clear this up, Aldia received more prophecies that she never reported, hence the new additions to the ranks of prophesized ones: the betrayer, the redeemer, the lost, the fire, and the ice. All of them are characters. :D Good luck guessing who is who!**


	33. Birthday

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

Sash was not calm.

When he first walked in the living room, he saw Luna sitting in the lit fireplace. When he gasped, her gray eyes had snapped open and for a moment, she glared at him with more loathing than I had ever seen in such a small child. But then, as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone and her face was so cheerful that I would've thought that I'd imagined it if I hadn't seen Sash eyeing her warily. I made her get out of her new happy place. She wrapped the towel around herself, as if she'd been swimming in the flames, and scurried downstairs to get her clothes on.

Before Sash could fully process everything, Rame had knelt down near the fireplace and blew the entire fire out in one breath.

It was as if the kids had conspired against Sash and were determined to give him a heart attack. He went into the bathroom and screamed. When I went in to take a look, I found a very startled and confused Scuro sitting on the counter, bouncing a ball of water into the air.

A similar scene happened in the kitchen. We witnessed Alba place her arm into the ice bucket and when she pulled it out, blocks of ice clung to her skin in the same way leeches would. She'd looked up at us with a beaming smile plastered across her face. Then, one by one, the ice cubes fell off into a bowl then she went back and did it again.

I thought we'd be safe downstairs but, naturally, we weren't. Neve was sitting in the den doing some last minute preparations to her gift. Not realizing what he was getting himself into, Sash asked Neve what she was doing.

"Well, I wanted to give Grandma some flower seeds, but now I'm just gonna give her some flowers!" she replied seriously.

With that, she sprinkled a few more into the vase then put her fingers into the dirt. Slowly she pulled them up and not long after, flower stems poked out of the soil and the two-week process happened in two minutes. At least this gift seemed to entrance Sash and he smiled.

Sash was sitting on my bed trying to calm down when I heard the cars pulling up the drive.

"They're here." I announced.

He clenched his jaw and swallowed nervously. "Oh boy."

"You'll be fine." I said briskly. "Now come on. Quil and Embry have probably already given everyone a good report on you. And they'll have to go through me to get to you, anyway. Now come on, you big baby."

Sash sighed but without any objections followed me upstairs.

I really didn't understand what he was worrying about. He was dressed decently—jeans that weren't too loose or tight and a black t-shirt—he had manners, and everyone here loved him to death. Maybe a poor choice of words considering I live with a whole coven of vampires…

"Just hang back for a minute if you want." I whispered to Sash. He nodded. "Mom!" I called and hurried out of the kitchen. She was standing by the door giving Esme a hug, but when I came in her face lit up and she dashed forward to give me a hug.

"Hello, Leah."

"Happy birthday, Mom." I said and pulled away. The moment I did I found myself being bear-hugged by the boys.

"Leah!"

"Hi, Lee Lee."

"Hey, wolf girl."

I scowled at Jared who grinned and stuck his tongue out at me. Emily walked over and shooed the boys away so she could hug me. "It's good to see you!"

"You too, Em, but where are they?" I peered around for the little tots who'd been born last year. They were sitting in a stroller by the door, looking out at us curiously. "Oh! They've grown so much!" I walked over and knelt down beside then.

I extended one finger towards Tala, the girl, and she clenched her little fist around it. Apparently she was used to extreme skin temperatures from her father and the other pack members because she didn't even flinch. I gave Harry my other finger which he tried to bite. I smiled, pulled it away, and tapped him affectionately on the nose.

Just then, the kids came in and the twins were successfully distracted so I moved away and let Alba and Rame take my place.

Sam came to give me a hug next and for once it didn't feel awkward at all so I hugged him back. "Well, looks like you're doing the father thing pretty well." I inclined my head at his laughing toddlers.

He chuckled. "Well enough, I guess, but Emily deserves ninety percent of the credit."

"But your ten percent is well earned." Emily's voice was warm.

Sam grinned that old imprint-grin and I sighed. It was time to introduce Sash. I turned towards the kitchen and I spotted him lurking just inside the bathroom, looking around apprehensively. I beckoned to him and he walked out. His hands were in his pockets, but at least he didn't slouch and he still kept a lazy smile when the eyes of everyone were on him.

"Mom, Charlie, Sam, Emily, Jared, Paul, Collin, Brady, this is Sash."

"My real name's Alexander Dawson, but I go by Sash." He explained when Charlie gave him a funny look. "Nice to meet you, Chief Swan." He held out his hand. Charlie smiled and shook it.

I heard Bella sigh in relief.

"Should I call you Mrs. Clearwater or Mrs. Swan?" Sash asked my mom.

"Just Sue is fine." she said and that's when I knew that Sash was really going to be accepted.

He seemed just as at ease around Paul, Jared, Collin, and Brady as he was around Jake, Seth, me, Embry, and Quil. Sam was a different story. Emily was thrilled that I'd finally found someone and after three rounds of peek-a-boo he'd earned the adoration of the twins, but I could sense the tension between the two when Sash greeted Sam. They exchanged a long look but then Sam nodded ever so slightly and Sash smiled.

Men.

I'd almost expected Sam to give Sash the traditional talking to but as I led Mom down to show her the changes I'd made to my room and the mural, I saw Charlie motion for Sash to follow him into the sitting room.

"Your room looks nice." Mom peered around. My room usually wasn't spiffy, but I cleaned it up. "That's new." She pointed to the quilt on my bed.

I smiled. "Sash gave it to me. His family runs a Native American antique store. He thinks it was made by his great grandmother."

She ran her fingers along the wolf in the dream catcher. "Did he know at the time?"

"No," I said. "H knew about werewolves, so maybe in the back of his mind he wondered it, but he didn't know for sure until the full moon."

Mom sighed. We'd told her how the full moon was on the children. "The poor boy."

I laughed. "He took it well when I explained it all the next day."

"Still, that night must've been horrible for him; all alone in this big house, terrified of huge werewolves running around."

"And vampires possibly lurking in every shadow," I added.

Mom sighed and sat down on the bed. "It's really not that funny, Leah."

"It is to me."

Mom rolled her eyes. "You have an evil sense of humor."

"Damn right—oops. I mean, darn right!"

Mom waved me off. "Don't bother. I've already heard you say every word in the book."

I grinned and sat down beside her.

"So are you still having trouble with his grandparents?"

"No, they're very friendly now that we've got the whole misunderstanding out of the way. His mother, aunt, and uncle don't suspect a thing. It's his sister that's the problem. He convinced me to show Penny what I was but now I'm a freak and Sash is a traitor and she's a right bitch."

Mom shook her head. "Well, you win some and you lose some."

"I think this is one I needed to win."

She loved the mural when I showed it to her. Upstairs, Sash was in the living room with Paul and Jacob. The three boys were watching Renesmee and Alba on the floor playing with the giggling twins. Well, Sash and Jacob were watching. Paul was gaping. Alba had a ball of water in her hands that the babies kept poking and smacking.

"Having fun?" I asked Alba and Nessie. They nodded. "Didn't I remind you guys to not use your abilities?"

Alba looked up at me then back at Paul. "Oh man. I'm sorry!"

I sighed. "Well, nothing we can do it about it now. Just be careful and don't make a mess."

"Gotchya. Ok, pour more into it." Alba told Nessie who lifted a half-full pitcher and poured a little more water onto the water ball. The water sloshed down the sides then seemed to be soaked in. The ball grew to the size of a softball.

I clapped.

"You're very calm." Sam noted. I hadn't noticed him back there by the stairs. He nodded at Alba. "How long has she been able to do that?"

"A few days. The others can do similar things." I said. "Sash's Nana called them Elementals. They have…bonds, I guess with the Spirit of their element. Remember the elder stories about the Great Spirit?" I prompted when Sam gave me a blank look.

"How everything has a spirit and the Great Spirit was responsible for all life? Yeah."

"Same basic deal. Every element has one large Spirit that all the smaller spirits feed into. They can each work with one element Spirit. As you can see, Alba got water. Scuro too. Neve is earth. Luna is fire. And Rame is wind."

Sam's eyes flicked to the twins. Scuro had joined his sister and their hands were holding up a beach ball sized ball of water. Damn!

I had to explain the Elementals thing again to everyone so they understood. Neve decided that was the perfect time to give Sue her flower and she proudly boasted "I grew it myself this morning!"

Emily asked Neve if she'd like to come down to La Push with her and help with the garden.

"Can I, Mama?" Neve begged. "Oh please, _please_ can I Mama?"

"I can bring her back in a week." Sam offered.

I pressed my lips together and studied Neve carefully. She would be safe in La Push with all the werewolves around and this would be a good chance for her to get out and have fun with Emily. They loved gardening and cooking. Plus, I knew Sam would fight a coven of vampires by himself to get Neve safely back to us.

So I nodded and smiled. She squealed and jumped and hugged me.

"No fair!" Rame protested. "I want to go to!"

"No." I said. "Neve's the only one going and that's final. Don't give me that look. You guys will get your chance to go somewhere special soon enough. But right now, it's Neve's turn. Besides, Emily only invited Neve." Then I flashed her warning a look to keep quiet.

The dinner was great. The Cullens retreated upstairs, leaving Nessie in the kitchen with the rest of us to eat. They came back and joined in our loud chorus of the happy birthday song to Mom. Charlie said we sounded like wounded animals then wished Mom a happy birthday, mentioning which birthday it was in the process.

"You're old!" Luna said, widening her eyes. The whole table roared with laughter.

Neve left with them later that night. I stood outside watching her climb into the car with Sam, Emily, and the twins. Sue and Charlie were the only other ones driving, the boys were all running. I only let Sash pull me inside when they were gone.

"Hey, she'll be fine. A tanker couldn't take you out." He assured me. "She'll be fine surrounded by all them."

"I know, it's just…"

It's just that none of them have ever been too far from me and because I know things about them that no one else does.

"I miss her already." I sighed.

Now that I look back on that day, I remember the group-hug the kids and I gave Neve before she left. Every last detail is imprinted into my mind forever. Who my arms surrounded, who sighed, who giggled…

After all, how could I forget the last time we would all be together?


	34. The Lost

***June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

_**2-10**_

_I found this pretty note book in the attic! Mama says I shood not get in to the Cullens stuff, but it is so pretty! Blue covor and bubbles on it! _

_I am getting good at righting! Bella sed that a lot of human children do not like skool. I know we do not really go to skool, but I think lerning is fun! I lerned how to spell some new words today. They all are spelled alike._

_Gain_

_Pain_

_Plain_

_Brain_

_Slain _

_And they sound alike. Bella says that means they rime. _

_Mama is a very fast runner. She beats Uncle Jacob all the time in races. We can never keep up with her wile we run. She has to slow down lots. Mama, Uncle Jake, and Uncle Seth are teaching us to hunt. I'm getting very, very, very, very, very good at it! I brot down a baby deer on my own yesterday!_

_But I think Jasper has the best class. He knows so much! I can not believe he is so old! He knows a lot about the old world. I want to know more about the wars and stuff he fot in, but he says I am too young! _

_Its not fair!_

I pressed my lips together and flipped ahead a few days.

**2-23**

_I feel silly! Its spelled school, not skool! Thats what Carlisle sed._

_Im glad Edward can not read my mind. I think he wood have told someone that I took the note book. I like righting in this thing! I think its called a die-are-ree. Bella red me a book with the word in it. The girl always rote her special thots in her die-are-ree. I wonder if Mama has one. Ive never seen her with one, but I do not think she has seen me with mine. Maybe she hid it. I want to look for it, but Mama might get mad. I do not want to make her mad._

_She seems nervus latelee. I wunder why, but I do not want to ask._

Her simple spelling errors were so adorable. If only I'd known…I would've helped her learn to spell all the words she wanted.

**2-14**

_I think I get this hollyxday thing. There are certain days humans celleebrate as speshal days. Today is a holly day. Mama says it is called Valentine's Day. She taught us how to spell it. We made Valentines Day cards for the Cullens while they were gone. Mama says it was for pryvit time. I do not get why they left to have pryvit time. We would not have bothered them if they had stayed. But I think there might be some thing Mama is not telling us about pryvit time. Jacob and Seth were laffing while she tried to explain it._

_We are going to watch a movey now. I hope it does not last long. Im sleepy. The full moon is comin soon. I can feel it._

**2-15**

_Last night was kind of scary. That big wolf was mean. I hope I get to meet Uncle Tea-low some day. He was nice._

_Oh my goodness! Mama met someone today! Seth told us! Mama says his name is Sash! I want to meet him!_

I flipped ahead a bit. I would have time to read more later. I wanted to see her reaction to meeting him.

**3-14 **

_We met Sash today. He is really hand some. And he is really nice. I think really likes us. We had to put on a show to make it look like we are all humans. I think we should just tell him. I think he can handle it. And he really liked the picther of us on the wall._

_Neve almost got us all in trubble. She told Sash that Leah was our Mama. Im not shur why, but it made him up set._

**3-29**

_Im a bit worryed. Luna is acting strange (I just learned to spell that right). I really do not think she likes Sash much. We get happy when we hear he might be coming over, or whenever he is talked about, but she does not get as happy. In fact, I think she is a bit…mad. I do not know why._

That was news to me. I knew the attention I gave to him annoyed her, but I didn't know she had any particular dislike for him.

**4-1**

_I found out it's spelt diary not die-are-ree!_

_Diary diary diary!_

**4-10 **

_Sash found out about us last night. We all forgot the full moon! I woke up in pain and shaking. Mama was so sad. We were scared. But in the mornin Mama took Sash into the woods while we got to sleep. When they came back they were happy. Everyone was happy. Jacob said Sash was one of the pack!_

_Im happy! Everyone is. Even Lunas happy I think!_

"Mama, what's that?"

I looked up at Neve. "It's…something of Alba's."

Neve lowered her head. "Oh. Can I read?"

"I don't think she'd want anyone to read it."

"Then why are you reading it?"

I didn't answer.

**4-13**

_Sash is coming around a lot. He is really part of the family now. I like having him here._

_I am getting better at spelling now! It is fun!_

**4-15**

_Something is happenin. Rame is frends__with the wind. Like, the wind itself! It's weird! But he likes it!_

_Mama is freaked out!_

**4-19**

_Now Luna is friends with fire! (f r __i__ e n d s) She put her arm in the fire and it didn't hurt her!_

_Everyone is scared. She should have been burned!_

**4-20**

_Me and Scuro and Neve do not have a friend yet. I think Scuro will be next. He's the only other boy._

_None of the Cullens have ever heard of anything like this happenin. There is a vampire who can control the elements, but that's it. They can still hurt him._

**4-21**

_Nothing yet._

_When will it happen?_

**4-22**

_Neves friends with the earth, says Esme. Neve made flowers and grass grow outside without meanin to. She is so lucky!_

_But now I'm nervus. There is only one element left, water, and two of us. Who gets it? Who does not?_

_I hope I get water. I know it is mean to Scuro, but I want to be waters friend. _

**4-23**

_It happened today! Me and Scuro went down to the pool and when we got close the water started to move around like someone was in it. When I put my hand over the water it came up and shook my hand! _

_The water started whispering to us. It knew our names. It said it wouldn't hurt us and that it was our friend. Water said we would always be friends._

_Mama found us and got scared. Then she left for a while and when she came home she started telling us what we were and why we were friends with the elements. She called us El-ee-men-talls, whatever that means. And she says we have to be careful tomorrow._

**4-25**

_Sash is great! He knows we're all mad since we can't go to La Push like Neve so he said he'd take us camping! Mama isn't allowed to come. Jake and Seth can't go either. Neve will be sooo jellus when she gets back!_

That was the last entry. I carried Alba's diary into my room and opened my rarely used sock drawer. I push socks out of the way and carefully tuck the notebook into the back and cover it.

I'd always keep that safe.

"She's never coming back, is she?" Neve asked quietly from my doorway.

I shook my head. My head felt lighter now without the long hair. The ends tickled my neck, reminding me of everything I'd lost. "No. She's not."

**7 Days Ago…**

I was missing the kids. They'd been gone a full day already. Sash had taken them up to the forest outside Nenana for a camping trip. Just him and the kids, something special because they'd been left behind. I figured, what the hell, since he was going to be around for a while and they loved being outside in the forest. I stayed because he'd be distracted by me and I trusted him to take care of the kids and I trusted them to protect him.

But I was dead bored. I had no Sash to hang out with and no kids to watch. Nothing to do but watch the TV and pray for something besides reruns. God ignored me.

I wasn't really worried. They were werewolves. They don't get cold and they generated more than enough body heat to keep Sash warm, too.

"Leah…" Rosalie walked into the den.

"Yeah?" I looked over my shoulder.

She took the remote off the couch and punched in a channel. I made a noise of protest but she pointed att he screen seriously. It was the local weather channel.

"…_quite suddenly. Winds likely to reach seventy miles per hour and large snowfall is expected. But what else is new?"_ the weatherman was saying. A few people in the studio laughed. _"Still, stay inside and expect possible power outages. Again that's in the Fairbanks area, including the towns of Nenana, Ester, Fox, North Pole, Moose Creek, Two Rivers, Pleasant Valley, Salcha, and those of you in Minto had better be careful because you might catch the tail of this baby."_

Sometime during that my mouth fell open and I got a death grip on the pillow. I turned to slowly look at Rosalie. She gently, but firmly, pulled the pillow out of my grasp and my arms didn't move.

"Hand…me…my phone…" I said slowly.

Rosalie was gone quickly and instantly came back, pressing my cell phone into my hand. I opened it up and dialed his number quickly. It rang seven times then went to voicemail. I hung up furiously then hit redial.

"Come on, Leah, you're ruining it!" was what I heard after the third ring.

"Has Rame been acting odd?" I asked.

"Actually," he said after a pause. "Yes. He keeps staring out into the distance and he's acting a mouse that's been cornered by a cat."

"Do you want to know why?" I didn't wait for him to respond. "There's a helluva storm heading your way." I tried to sound calm, but even I could hear the sharp edge in my voice.

"…Oh."

"Hate to say it, but pack up and head back."

"Alright….alright…they won't like this, but alright. I'll call you in an hour."

"You do that." I said.

An hour passed and when the second hour was nearing completion, I snapped. I hit the speed dial button so hard I was surprised my phone didn't break. It went right to his voice mail. The phone slipped between my fingers.

"Carlisle." I said, sounding surprisingly calm.

Doctor vamp was in the room in an instant. "I heard. You want to go look?"

I flipped back to the weather channel. One of the dark red clusters that represented the severest parts of storm was right over the area where they were supposed to be. Outside, the snow was falling steadily, but we were in the light green. If they were in the red…

"Yes."

Within two minutes we were running north. Renesmee was instructed to wait at the house just in case they came back while we were gone She protested, saying she could help and that they were only making her stay behind because she was young, and demanding we stop treating her like a baby. She even turned to Jake for help. But he, like her parents, said she should stay home. With an indignant scream she marched up to her room and slammed the door.

The little angel's halo was growing a bit dimmer.

Being the fastest, I was ahead of the others from the moment I was on all-fours. Carlisle was on the phone with Tanya asking for her and her coven to come help us search.

We spread out several miles, running along all the roads he could have driven on. Nothing, not a car or human in sight, not even the animals seemed to be out. All the creatures were tucked their dens, where they should be. The Denali Coven caught up with us just outside Nenana. The blizzard was already in full force by the time of our arrival. The cold didn't bother any of us, but the snow was being whipped into our faces and it didn't help one bit. And there was no way in hell for me to pick up a scent.

"We'll split up!" Jasper shouted over the wind. "Jacob, you take Leah, Edward, Bella, Kate, and Garrett and search in town and the outlying areas. The rest of you will be with me and search the forest. If you find them, howl! You got that, Seth? You're with us!"

Seth nodded.

The other group headed for the trees and we went the other way toward the town lights. I tried to get a scent, but the wind had completely blown every traces of life away.

"Spread out," Edward ordered.

I loped away, plowing through the snow with ease, calling for the kids in my mind. For once I wished their mindlink was like the shape-shifter one. I'd know where they were.

_Kids? Kids? Luna? Scuro? Alba? __Rame? Kids! _

_Leah! _I heard Jacob shout. _I think I found them! _A second later, his howl rang up over the howling wind.

I whirled around and raced for his general location, calling for the kids. Then, as I got closer, I faintly heard a reply.

_Mama…we…snow…help…cold…missing…_ I couldn't make it out, exactly, but I was pretty sure that was one of the girls.

_I'm coming! Jacob, where are you? _

_I'm by a road… yes! I found the car!_ He howled again, louder and more insistent this time. _Oi! Seth!  
_

_Should I howl? _Seth asked.

_Yeah, get the others to come._ In the distance, Seth howled.

I could see Jacob's reddish pelt ahead and I ran faster. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw the vampires running towards him too, but I was there first. Jacob was trying to pry the door open with his paw.

_Uncle Jake! Mama! _ I could see Luna's pale face through the window. _Mama, Rame, Scuro, and Alba are gone!_

_And Sash?_

I thought I saw annoyance flash in her eyes, and something else. Anger?_ I'm keeping him warm. We thought we could get the car unstuck, but then the wind picked back up and I climbed in. The door got stuck when I tried to open it for them. _

_Which way? _Jacob asked sharply.

Luna's paw was on the window now. _I don't know!_

_How's Sash? _I asked.

Luna growled. _The human is fine. Go find my brothers and sister!_

"I only see Luna and Sash." Carlisle said near my shoulder. I told Edward.

"Luna and Sash are the only ones in there. They tried to help and the three others ended up getting stuck outside."

Carlisle frowned. "How long has it been, Luna?"

_Maybe an hour since Sash and I got the door open, we would've left it open, but he was freezing._

I relayed it to Edward.

"An hour."

"Alright, then they can't be too far. Spread out in all directions." Carlisle ordered to the sixteen of us. "Noses to the ground, everyone. If they stopped, chances are that they burrowed down. It's a wolf instinct."

I whimpered loudly.

"They're werewolves, Leah." He reminded. "If what Sash's grandmother said is true, then they are pureblooded werewolves. They won't die easily."

I whimpered again but nodded.

We spread out. Or orders were to go two miles then return. If they weren't within four miles then we'd have to wait until the storm passed. It felt like hours. I trudged on, shouting for them in my mind, sniffing until my nose hurt, and walking until my legs were actually starting to ache. I must've gone beyond four miles when I heard Seth calling me back. Everyone had returned with no luck.

I refused and kept searching, then Jacob decided enough was enough. I felt the tug of his words and my legs gave way when I tried to walk forward.

_Jacob, I have to keep looking. _I pleaded.

_No, Leah, you need to come back. We'll keep looking after the storm. _

I trashed, trying to move onward but I couldn't. He meant it. _Damn you, Jacob Black! Damn you to hell with the rest of the red leeches! _I threw back my head and howled, loud and long. It rose up over the howling of the wind and the sound carried. I felt hurt coming from Jacob's end of the link and Seth was howling, too.

I lowered my head and burrowed down. I wasn't going back. I'd stay out here till I found them.

_Leah, we can't lose you to this storm._

Another howl went up. This one was younger, terrified, familiar.

I sprang up. _Scuro!_ I howled again. _Scuro!_

My son's howl sounded again. He was close. I turned and ran in the direction it was coming from. The strong winds didn't have the same effect as I ran on, fueled by my determination to reach him. He kept howling, and howling…

_Scuro! I'm coming!_

_Mama, mama! _Scuro shouted. _Mama help!_

I saw him, then, just ahead. His midnight fur stood out against the white snow. His head was poking out of a mound of snow and he barked loudly. I heard Jacob say they were coming. I ran forward and literally dove down into the snow and encircled Scuro's head.

_Where's Rame? Where's Alba?_

_They fell into the ditch! I couldn't get to them!_

_Where?_ I asked. He inclined his head towards a dip in the snow a few yards away.

_They said they'd try to find a way up. I kept talking and talking to them and they replied sometimes but then they just…stopped…_

I threw my head back and howled louder, more insistent this time. When the vampires showed up they already knew what to do and soon the air was thick with flying snow. They spread out over a mile digging up about a foot of snow, calling for Alba and Rame. Despite my protests, Jacob finally ordered for me to take Scuro back to the car and wait there. I did, hurling every curse I knew at Jacob as I went.

_Scuro!_ Luna barked from inside the car then pushed the door open. She ran over and reared up, licking Scuro's flank. _Where are the others?_

_Back there,_ I said. _They're trying to find them._

Luna narrowed her eyes. _Why aren't you helping?_

_Jacob ordered me to stay. I have to obey him. _I grumbled.

The car was too big for me to fit in, so I placed Scuro in and made Luna get back in, too. Sash was conscious and apologizing to me over and over. I just sighed and closed the door with my paw and paced around the car.

_He's sorry, Mama._ Scuro said. _He thinks you're not going to forgive him._

_I will. _I said. _He didn't make this storm._

_Leah…_ Jacob said slowly. _We're not finding anything and we've hit a dead end. There are only so many places they could've gone.  
_

_You can't stop looking! _I snarled._ You can't! _I tried to launch myself forward, but my legs gave way under the weight of his order to stay put. I tried again, snarling and yowling, attempting to move away from the car. _Let me go!_ I screamed at Jacob.

I screeched when I saw some of them returning. _No! You can't stop! You have to keep looking. They're not dead! They're not dead!_

_Leah, relax! _Jacob shouted, but he couldn't command my emotions.

_Let me go! I'll keep looking myself!_

_Leah! _Seth pleaded. _Calm down!_

_Now, _Jacob added.

He was close enough. I snarled and leapt at him, claws outstretched. I landed on him and we rolled over, tussling in the snow. He was stronger, but I was faster and my teeth were sharper. He really wasn't taking me seriously, I could tell by the looseness in him. He didn't seem to realize that I was fully prepared to murder him right then and there. Of course, once he heard that, he started trying to subdue me.

I sank my teeth into his throat and blood flowed from the wound.

"Someone stop her!" I heard Bella shout.

Jacob and I sprang apart and I launched forward again. He swiped up, hitting my paws, but I still landed on him and sank my teeth into his shoulder.

_Leah, stop fighting me. _Jacob thought and the result was instantaneous. My muscles went limp and I slid off him. I struggled in the snow, trying to get up. I wanted to maul Jacob. I wanted to find my kids. I couldn't, though, and it was his damn fault. I snarled, lashing out at him…

Something jabbed me in the side. I jerked around, snarling at Carlisle. He pulled the needle out of my body. I snarled then one of the Denali coven, Kate, I believe, touched me and she sent electrical shots through my body. I went limp as darkness clouded my vision. Carlisle stuck me with another needle…

I was…drifting…into…

I had to find the kids…

Darkness.

* * *

I was first aware of a hand stroking my face. It was cool, not cold; a human hand. The next thing I noticed was that I was laying on something comfortable and I had what felt like pajamas on.

I groaned softly and the hand stopped stroking my cheek. "Leah?" he whispered.

It was Sash, naturally.

I opened my eyes slowly and looked around. I was at the house, in my bedroom, tucked into my bed. I groaned again and turned my head. He was lying next to me, on top of the covers, looking quite relieved. I sighed and closed my eyes.

"Hey, come on, Leah." He murmured. "You've been out for hours. Carlisle had to put three doses into you."

Doses…

I frowned and tried to remember. Like a tidal wave, the memories hit me with a force strong enough to crush a vampire. I sat up. "Alba?" I shouted, trying to launch myself out of the bed. "Rame?"

"Leah," he soothed and pulled me back. How he summoned the strength to make me move was beyond me, but I went limp and let him just push me back onto the pillow.

He propped himself up on one arm gently wove his fingers through mine. "Listen, Leah. You've be asleep for nearly a day. You went nuts out there when they called off part of the search. You looked rabid. Carlisle put a sedative in you and Kate shocked you so they could get you home. Everyone is out searching except for Esme. She volunteered to stay here and keep an eye on us. Jacob called Sam and his pack is here searching, too. Neve was dropped off about two hours ago. She, Scuro, and Luna are sleeping in the den. I remembered what you said about them needing contact if they didn't get into the moonlight in time. I figured they should be together…can you even hear me?"

He waved a hand in front of my face. I blinked.

"Yes," I said quietly. "I hear you."

Sash sighed. "They promised to call, but…they can't look forever."

"Yes they can. They're immortal." I snapped.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Meaning if they don't find them soon…then they're probably dead."

I don't like what he's saying. I put my hands over my ears childishly and shook my head. "No."

Sash sighed yet again.

Then something hit me. "Wait. Carlisle knocked me out with a sedative?"

"Yes."

"Why the hell did he have a sedative?"

Sash shrugged. "He must keep some in his kit."

I scoffed.

About five minutes later his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and flipped it open. "She's awake." He said without preamble. He sat up and I did to.

I heard Jacob's voice on the other end of the line but I couldn't make out what he was saying. Relief softened the features of Sash's face and he looked at me. "They found Rame. He burrowed down in the shelter of a tree and popped out when he heard them coming."

I started to cry and put my face in my hands. "Oh thank God…" I whispered.

"…He…alright…alright…I…I'll try. …I hope…yeah." He closed the phone and put his fist over his mouth.

"What is it?" I whispered, terrified of the answer.

"Rame lost sight of Alba in the storm. Just thirty meters away from his burrowing spot is a cliff. They…they…they're sending some down to look…but…"

"But they think she's dead." I said flatly.

He nodded.

"So they've given up?"

"No, they're—"

"They can't give up!" I shouted.

"Leah, calm down!" Esme was in the room. She sat down on the bed, gently smoothing down my long hair. "Honey, calm down. They're not giving up. They'll keep looking. You just need to calm down."

"No! Let me go look! If they're giving up**,** let me go look!"

She continued to smooth my hair down, like a mother, winding her fingers through the long locks and said, "No, Leah, you need to stay here. You're not thinking straight—"

"Stop it!" I smacked her hand away from my hair and leapt out of my covers and out of my bed in the same movement.

She was treating me like a child. Like _Renesmee._ Long haired, big-eyed, innocent little Renesmee. I wasn't having that. Not any freaking more. I was a grown woman. I was not a little girl who needed a mommy to take care of her. I was not just some low Omega wolf who pressed her nose to the dirt whenever the Alpha walked by.

I shoved the door out of the way and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind me, and wrenched open the cabinet door and grabbed the scissors. Maybe I was being irrational, maybe there was still some medicine in my system that was making me unable to think straight, but whatever the reason, it felt right to snip off more than a foot of my hair. When I was done my hair was like it used to be, above my shoulders, but chopped and messy. Just seeing it that way made me feel better, freer than I had in months. I felt like I could fight the Volturi alone and win.

I threw the scissors down so hard that they broke on the ground and yanked the door open. Esme was there, frowning like a mother when her child is throwing a tantrum, and Sash was being her, looking positively alarmed. But Esme was pissing me off.

"Stop treating me like a child!" I snarled. "Do I _look_ like a child? All of you stop bossing me around and let me go find my daughter!"

"Leah, I know what this is like for you, but you have to stop!" Esme pleaded. "I was a mother once. I tried to kill myself when I lost my son. Look where that got me. You can't lose your head or you'll do things you regret."

"So you regret meeting Carlisle?" I seethed.

"No." Esme said. "That's not what I meant. I wasn't thinking straight and I ended up dead. You lose your head and you may lose more than that."

"Excuse me if I don't want to take advice from someone who committed suicide!" I snarled and tried to run past her, but her stone arms locked around me, not letting me go. My words must've hurt her. I screamed and struggled. But she didn't let me go. I felt Sash trying to hold me, too, but it was when I felt three pairs of tiny hands on me that I really stopped fighting. I went limp and just started crying. I cried and cried and just for good measure, cried some more.

Esme carried me into my room where Sash was waiting on my bed. She put me down next to him and he pulled my upper half onto him. The kids crowded around while I cried into his shirt. Then Esme was back, but I didn't know she'd been planning to put me under until I felt the needle in my arm again. It only took one dose this time. Almost instantly I felt my muscles relax. The haziness filled my mind and I sank back into sleep, but not before I shot Esme a look full of more venom than she could ever produce.

A couple of times, I started to surface. I think they might've been feeding me then, I was so hazy that I couldn't tell, and then I would always sink back into sleep. Dimly, I figured they must be keeping me unconscious so I wouldn't act out.

When I finally was able to completely come into consciousness, I was in one of the upstairs rooms—this one was just off Carlisle's office. Sash was sitting beside me and he smiled when he saw my eyes open.

"Welcome back, Leah." He whispered.

"Oh god…" I groaned. "My head…"

He put his hand on my cheek. "It'll pass, Carlisle says."

"How long have I…?"

"Three days."

I groaned again and put my hand on my forehead. "Wh…wh…where's…R—"

"He's asleep downstairs." He said gently.

"And Alba?"

He pressed his lips together and bowed his head. "They found the scarf she had around her neck a few feet from a rockslide in the valley. I'm…sorry. They're not going to dig her out. Carlisle says her body would look…horrible."

Body.

Tears filled my eyes and I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, Leah." He whispered.

I screamed.


	35. Moving On

**Ok, so...I know y'all are pretty pissed at me... but the last chapter ****was necessary****. I don't expect you all to understand right away, but what happened to Alba was vital for the future of the story. And so I can clear this up, they knew she wasn't alive under the rocks because they would've heard her heart beating. They're vamps. They have super hearing and stuff. And the snow had washed away all scents. Plus, do any of you know what a body looks like after it's been crushed by objects 4+ times it's size and mass? Well...I don't know exactly, but it's not hard to guess.**

*******June 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Fango**

_We were wrong._

Leka, Micka, Kalli, Tyrew, Melody, Conlor, Hamma, Jheci, Yhasi, Teryal, and I sat in a circle. We were the same circle that had discussed the Prophecies before. And, as it seems, we had been wrong.

_No kidding_. Micka grumbled. _There is no way she is the dreamer now._

_She is the Lost. _Jheci said decidedly.

Tyrew smirked. _I knew it could not be two females. Perhaps…it is Rame who—_

_You know what? _Hamma snapped, standing up. _You are the most sexist—_

_Rame?_ Kalli cut her off, shaking her head. Hamma continued to glower at Tyrew, but the other wolf ignored her. _No, he is not the dreamer. He is not right for it. Not like Alba was. _

_So, then, who is it? _Hamma asked dejectedly.

I sighed._ I have no idea._

_Maybe Luna is the moon's warrior. _Melody piped up._ The warrior and dreamer, they don't have to be siblings, do they? _She looked at Kalli who shook her head.

_There is nothing in the Prophecies that states they are siblings, or even related. However, their birthdays would have to be near each other._ '_Born under the full moon. As the leaves change and die._'

_So Luna, maybe, and another werewolf born on the full moon?_ Leka guessed. _Were there not two litters just born to the great pack?_

_Praise Celbra!_ Yhasi and Teryal, the gray twins, cried.

_Yes, but they were not born on the full moon._ Hamma sighed.

_Damn it!_

_Language, Conlor_, Jheci scolded lightly.

_Wait!_ Melody gasped suddenly and we all turned to look at her.

_What is it_? I asked.

_It…it cannot be Luna_! _She is not the one! She and Alba never were! _

_What?_ I took a step towards her. _Why do you think so?_

_Their birthdays! The verse says, 'Born under the full moon. As the leaves change and die.' When do the leaves die? Autumn!_ She jumped to her paws. _They were born in the middle of winter. It is not them!_

We all stared at each other in dismay. She was right. I sighed and crouched down, burying my nose into my paws. She was right. It could not be them.

_At this rate, the Warrior and Dreamer will not be born in time to save the werewolves._ Micka sighed_. However, it is possible Alba still is the Lost...yet I do not see how. We are grasping at straws.  
_

_What about Leah and Seth_? Leka asked suddenly.

_What about them?_

_What if…if they are the ones? Leah's birthday is in November. Seth's is September… _

Micka's eyes widened with excitement.

_No, it cannot be._ Kalli sighed._ They are not werewolves. They are shape-shifters._

* * *

**Scuro**

I thought it was funny. Or…not funny, just odd. Weird. Why had the others gotten their own elements when Alba and I had to share? I know why now. She wasn't going to live.

Sash blames himself. But…it's not his fault.

I tried to tell them not to go that way and when they did I tried to reach them, but I couldn't. I kept telling them to keep talking to me. They tried to find a way up…

I still think that if I'd done something differently then Alba would've lived.

I don't like having water all to myself…

"Where's Mama?" Rame had asked.

"She's…asleep." Carlisle said. "We have to keep her asleep because she's very scared. But she'll be happy you're home."

Scared? That was an understatement.

* * *

**Neve**

Why did I go? Why did I leave?

I can't help but think that if I'd stayed that this wouldn't have happened—

No. I know it for a fact! They only went because of me! Sash only suggested the campout because I got to go to La Push and it wasn't fair to the others. If…if…if I hadn't gone…if I hadn't showed off to Emily then she wouldn't have invited me…

It's my fault! It's all my fault!

* * *

**Rame**

I survived. She didn't.

I survived. She didn't.

I burrowed down in a hole in a tree that would only fit one. I let her go off to get a hidey-hole. Jasper and Edward always told me and Scuro we should protect our sisters. They said they were always taught to protect girls.

I…I should've let her go down into the hole. The wind wouldn't hurt me.

I keep waking up at night with nightmares. She screamed when she fell and then when I told her I was coming to help her she said:

No…stay up there. Stay safe. I'll get up…somehow I—

Then she just stopped talking. I screamed for her and I wanted to get out and look for her, but she told me to stay safe and I had to admit, after she'd been silent for ten minutes, it was probably best that I just stayed in my hiding place until the storm ended.

So I waited, listening and waiting. Then I heard the voice that I knew was the wind.

Come up, my friend. Your family searches nearby. They seek you and your sister. Come up.

So, I started to dig my way out. My body heat really helped to melt the snow and within a minute I was breaking through the top layer. I heard them calling for me.

_Paul!_ I called to the closest wolf. _Paul, I'm here!_

The gray wolf looked up at me. I found him! He howled.

I told everyone where Alba had gone. I fell asleep as Embry carried me home and when I woke up I found out Mama had gone crazy about us being missing and they were keeping her asleep so she didn't get hurt. Then they told me later what they assumed had happened.

After Mama woke up she screamed and that gave me nightmares too.

I survived. She didn't.

* * *

**Sash**

She screamed. She cried. I just held onto her until she ran out of tears. I thought she'd stop crying then, but she just kept sobbing tearless sobs. I rocked her back and forth, singing softly. I wasn't a good singer, at least I didn't think so, but it seemed to calm her down enough to lose consciousness. But even in her sleep she still trembled.

"Let me," Seth came in, looking very solemn. I gently set Leah down on the pillows and her brother took my place beside her. He gently grasped her hand and sighed. There was something there in that moment. He wasn't just her little brother. He was a wolf mourning the loss of a pack mate.

I sat down on the end of the bed and quietly asked, "Now what?"

"I don't—"

"Sash."

I turned around and saw Sam standing there. He inclined his head out the door and motioned for me to come. I glanced down at Seth and Leah.

"Don't worry, dude. She's my sister." Seth smiled weakly.

With a sigh I followed Sam out of the room, out of the house, and into the garden. We ended up at the porch swings where Edward, Carlisle, and Jacob were waiting. My eyes widened. Uh…oh…

I sat down on the empty porch swing and Sam took his seat next to Jacob.

"Alexander," Carlisle said slowly.

Aw shit.

Edward arched an eyebrow.

Dude, no one calls me Alexander unless I'm in deep shit.

"I'm not sure if you understand everything fully," Carlisle went on. "But the rivalry between vampires and werewolves is very deep. As far as we know, those five are the youngest werewolves alive. Leah told us that the Volturi were personally responsible for the death of their parents. They had to know their mother was pregnant. Pregnant females always give off a certain scent. There were six in the litter and one was stillborn. Five fresh new werewolves, full of life and strength, are not what their enemies want. The Volturi have ways of achieving what they want."

"Do they even know the kids exist?" I asked.

They glanced at each other.

"Possibly. And if they do then they'll want them dead. This is precisely why they live with us. However, as I said, the Volturi have ways of achieving what they want such as infiltrating—"

"How dare you?" I growled, realizing what they were getting at, and jumped up. "You're accusing me of murdering her? I was trapped in my fucking car!"

"Look, we're not accusing—" Jacob began but I cut him off.

"Then why am I being interrogated?" I snapped.

"All we're asking," Sam stood up and there was a commanding tone in his voice that I'd never heard from Jacob. I shrank back against my will. "Is if anyone approached you about those kids or suggested the camping trip!"

"I…I…"

The scene flashed through my head unwillingly.

"Look, I hate her guts, bro, but you…dammit I can't stay mad at you and it's driving me fucking crazy." Penny sighed. "If it's really important to you, just…I don't know…buy them some shiny toys!"

"Uh…Penny, the Cullens are loaded. If they want a shiny toy then I'm sure they'll get it some other way."

"Ugh. Right. And I don't think wolves like—"

"They're not wolves."

"Take them camping. Wolves like the outdoors."

"They're not—"

"Whatever bro. You know the old campsite we used to go to as kids? Take em there sometime. Or maybe get them an iPod."

"They have iPods already—"

"Your sister?" Edward asked evenly, cutting off the memory.

I swallowed. "But that was—she wouldn't…" I floundered around for an excuse. "But she wouldn't—"

"I'll monitor her." Alice said from nearby. I hadn't noticed her before.

"That will work," Carlisle looked around at everyone calmly then his eyes fell on me. "Come on. Edward and I will drive you home."

_Yeah right. You know damn well you can drive me home without Edward. You just want him to search my sister's mind._

Edward chuckled.

Well, that was a good plan, except that Penny's mind gave away nothing. Even when we told my family what had happened, her only thoughts were of shock and honest guilt, knowing she'd suggested it, according to Edward. My mom was afraid that the Cullens were angry at me but Carlisle assured her that I wasn't to be blamed. No one can control the weather.

But then I didn't hear from them for days. No one got in touch, not even Leah. Nothing except for the howling that woke me up three days after I was driven home. It lasted all night. My entire family just sat in the living room together, staring into the fire, listening to their cries.

Mom shook her head. "Those poor things…"

Aunt Tracy was crying softly and Uncle Lewis rubbed her arm gently. Twitch crouched on the ground, staring outside solemnly. Well, as solemnly as a cat can. And Penny…she looked oddly forlorn.

"It's them, isn't it?" she whispered to me. I nodded.

And strangely enough, I knew exactly which howl was Leah's.

* * *

**Seth**

Damn.

That's all I can say.

I don't know, man, I thought that maybe it'd actually work. I thought that we'd be able to keep them all safe. …I thought they'd change Leah.

Well, they did, but if losing one did this to her, I don't think any of us will be able to bear it if another one—

Gah, just thinking about it…

The kids were…lost. Death wasn't something they were familiar with. To them, their parents didn't die. They just weren't ever there. But Alba was their sister. A living, breathing part of their lives, of all our lives, that was just snatched away.

As with Dad, a full howling was the most respectful thing we could give her. All of us, even Sam's pack, sat along the cliff that night and howled. The Northern Lights danced in the sky. I don't think it was just a coincidence.

Months went by. May. June. July. Leah never blamed Sash for anything. She knew he was innocent and guilty. She was so convinced of it that she even convinced the rest of us.

By August, she seemed stronger. She was herself again, bitchiness included, but she didn't take it out on everyone all the time. She still grieved, though, and I found her crying on more than one occasion. But after the tears were gone, she'd wipe her eyes and soldier on.

We never did pack Alba's things. We left her room just as it was.

* * *

**Leah **

They were all growing so fast. By November they looked twelve. Renesmee, too, was growing quickly again.

As time went on I tried not to think about Alba so much, but I never forgot her. Never. I did wait for her. I'd fall asleep every night, hoping against hope that I'd see her in dreams.

_No, Leah._ Fango appeared one night, looking as old as his siblings. _You cannot speak to her. _

_Please,_ I begged. _I just need to apologize._

He blinked slowly. _She misses you._

_Why can't I talk to her?_

_It is…complicated. I am so sorry._

_Hmph. Like I'm supposed to believe that?_

Fango hesitated, then turned around and walked away. _Just leave it alone, Leah. You are meddling in things you should not meddle in._

What a load of shit!

If Fango, Noami, and who knows how many other wolves could come visit me in dreams then Alba certainly could've too. However, it did occur to me, that maybe she didn't want to see me anymore. I was supposed to protect her but I'd let her die. I wouldn't want to see that person again either.

With the cooler, darker months came the kids' favorite holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. They saw them as chances for candy, food, presents, and fireworks. I felt bad that they'd only have two of each in their youth. By the time the next ones came around they'd nearly be fully-grown.

For Halloween we couldn't go to La Push because anyone who didn't know our secret would be startled at how much they'd grown in a year. So we took them into Healy, Alaska where Carlisle worked**,** to trick-or-treat. For Thanksgiving we went down to Mom's house, without the Cullens except for Edward, Bella and Renesmee, and had dinner there.

Christmas was a bit sad; everyone was missing Alba like crazy, especially when Esme unpacked her stocking from the box where it had laid amongst the others for a year.

"Leah?" she handed it to me. I looked down at the tiny thing and ran my fingers across the designs, then I hung it on the mantle with the others.

On Christmas morning, however, everyone's spirits were lightened…sort of.

Emmett and Rosalie had all the kids gather around a box that had an unfamiliar scent coming from it…and a heartbeat.

"Now, I know you guys wanted a pet, so we got you one. But, you all will have to take care of him." Emmett said seriously.

"What did you get them?" I asked warily.

Rosalie smiled. "Well, we found the little thing when we were out hunting. He was lucky to have survived that storm the other day."

She pulled off the lid and a tiny head poked out. It looked around with wide blue eyes and it's black-tufted ears twitched. It took in the sight of us all then let out a pitiful mew.

"It's lynx kitten," Edward observed.

"Oh he's so cute!" Neve gasped. She reached in and pulled out the little tyke. He mewled pitifully but she gently cradled him to her chest, rocking back and forward gently. After a moment, he snuggled down and started to purr softly.

Scuro reached over and gently scratched the kitten's neck. When Rame's hand got close to the kitten's face, the thing leached forward and started to suck on Rame's finger. He pulled back in alarm.

"What the…?"

"He's hungry," I explained.

Rosalie was prepared. She handed Rame a bottle full of milk. He put the tip near the kitten's mouth and the thing reached forward with two large paws and held onto it while he gulped down the milk, purring loudly.

"So, what are you guys gonna name him?"

The kids looked at each other.

"Lucky?" Scuro suggested.

"Nah, that's a dog's name." Luna said. "Blizzard!"

"Uh…" Neve shook her head.

"Oh, right."

"We'll think about it," Rame decided.

It was later decided that the kitten's name was Dash, because he dashed away all the time. They made him a comfy bed down in the den, but he'd always get up and wonder into Neve's room. I guess she'd formed a bond with him during those minutes she'd cradled him.

On New Year's Eve we had to leave Dash inside so he wouldn't "dash away" when all the fireworks went off. We found him hiding under the couch later that night. Poor guy. Dash didn't take her place, but I guess he filled in some of the hole Alba left behind.

* * *

**Luna**

I don't care what everyone else thinks. Even though it's been so long, I haven't forgotten Alba like everyone else has. And I still think Sash had something to do with it. There is a weather channel that tells the weather coming up. He had to know there was a storm coming.

He took us all the way out there to the place with the cliffs. He coincidentally got too cold and tired to really help me open the door for them. From what I heard, he reacted badly when they questioned him, and made his sister seem guilty.

It makes no sense!

And Mama, when there's perfect evidence he was responsible, still thinks he's innocent. I don't understand what she sees in him. We were perfectly fine and then he shows up one day and suddenly Mama doesn't spend so much time with us anymore. She's always with him!

I growl and climb out of bed, once again glad that Edward cannot read my mind.

I head down the hall to our bathroom and turn on the light, closing the door behind me. I pull off my nightgown and put it into the hamper. Then, as I'm straightening up, I see something different. I turn to look…and I scream.


	36. More Changes

*******August 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

Do you have that sibling that always has the nightmares? They wake up screaming bloody murder and it wakes you up and you're freaked out, then annoyed and then just wanting to get back to sleep?

Well, imagine that it's your kid screaming, it's not the middle of the night, and there are possibly over a dozen vampires wanting her dead.

I was having a nice dream. I don't remember what it was about, exactly, I just remember waking up to something that sounded like this:

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

I was out of bed and vibrating like crazy before the scream could die away.

"MAMA!" Luna's scream came from the bathroom. I managed to calm down enough to maintain my form. I flew towards the door, rebounding off the wall, and sprinted down the hall, past Neve who was peering out of her room in alarm. The boys were running down from their end and a few of the Cullens were on the stairs.

I opened the bathroom door and walked in.

Luna looked absolutely terrified and tears were forming in her eyes. "Mama, something's inside me!" She wailed, pointing at her chest.

I gasped once and then I started laughing. I slid down the wall and just kept laughing while Luna continued to stand there, scared to death.

"Leah?" Seth knocked on the door. "Is everything alright?"

Still laughing, I opened the door a bit and looked out at the worried crowd. "Don't worry, guys."

"What the fuck is going on?" Emmet asked.

"It's just puberty." I said then burst out laughing again.

It was silent for a moment, and then as if by some prearranged agreement, they all said "ooh" at the same time. Except for Neve, Rame, and Scuro who, of course, had no idea what puberty was or what it meant. They all dispersed then, some of them more quickly than others. Except for Esme, naturally. I opened the door all the way so she could come inside. She laughed a bit when she saw Luna's pitiful state.

"Oh my goodness." She leaned down and hugged Luna who was shaking. "It's alright, honey. That's natural. It'll happen to Neve soon, too. It happens to most girls."

"So I'm fine?" she sniffed.

Esme nodded. "You're going to be fine, sweetie. Just go on and get in the shower."

"Thanks, Esme." I said as Luna climbed in. "You handled that better than I did."

Esme nodded and patted my arm. "It's alright. You really didn't have any time to prepare for that."

I nodded and laughed again, uneasily this time.

"Mama?" Luna asked me later. "Would this have happened to Alba too?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Look, it happened to me, too." I pointed to my own chest. "Happened to Esme, Bella, Rosalie, Alice… it'll happen to Renesmee soon, too."

"Did it happen to my mom?"

"Probably."

Yeah…so thus began the "teen years." When they should be hitting the terrible twos, they were getting the joys of puberty. Neve and Luna should've been getting ice cream or educational toys and what did they get instead? Bras. Am I the only one who finds that wrong?

Neve, already informed of the changes that would be coming, wasn't too freaked when her chest started to grow. I explained to them the changes they would be going through in the coming months, I even explained about periods and then warned them that I didn't know how that would work for them. Jacob, thankfully, was able to talk to the boys about what would start happening to them soon. At the same time, Renesmee had hit another growth spurt, and was entering puberty as well.

For once I felt like Bella and I were in the same boat. Our kids were growing up faster than we wanted and we were both a little lost.

For their birthday, Alice drove the kids and Renesmee down to Anchorage where they stayed in the Marriott for a few days. It wasn't just a birthday trip. It was also a much needed shopping trip.

They donated all their old clothes to a thrift store that apparently was so overwhelmed—especially when Alice said every piece was washed and sorted by size and gender—that they offered a decent sum for the clothing that Alice respectfully declined.

They did, however, purchase an outfit each from the store.

Starting at one end of the city and working their way across, they hit every store that sold clothes. They didn't necessarily buy something at each store, but they did more often than not. They came home with closets full of clothes.

During those days, the Cullens came and went frequently. Jacob and Seth ran some patrols just for the hell of it. I stayed at Sash's most of the time and took enjoyment from the angry glares Penny shot in my general direction. Sash was in his last semester of high school so he had plenty of homework which I gladly helped with. I even took him out on a fieldtrip for his Earth Science homework, a two page paper on a local mammal of his choice. He chose lynxes.

I took him to a place where Emmett said was populated by the wild cats and got him close enough to actually watch them. He snapped a few dozen pictures and I managed to coax one within a few meters from us. But then Sash laughed and the thing turned tail and ran.

He got an A on the paper and the kids let him take Dash with him when he presented it. Carlisle had little trouble convincing the teacher to allow Sash and I to lead Dash in through the door, keeping him on a leash at all times, so the class could see one up close. Most of them had never seen a lynx, let alone pet one.

The kids' appetites grew colossally, resulting in trips to the store almost every other day. It gave Edward and Bella something to do, and presented the perfect opportunity for Sash to learn to cook. I told him my cooking skills weren't that good and he'd better not expect me to cook all the time.

One time in March when I was hanging out at Sash's house, waiting for him to finish his chores, Penny pulled me outside for a nice little chat.

"Look, you've been around for a year now. I don't like you, and don't expect that to change any time soon—"

"I don't."

"But I just need to know," she went on as if I hadn't spoken. "Do you love him?"

That…brought me up short. Did I? I liked him…a…a lot. But did I _love_ him? Honestly, I wasn't sure if I was ready to love like that again.

She misunderstood my hesitation and her face darkened. "You really are a bitch. He loves you. …So what are you going to do, eh? Dump him and break his heart?"

I growled at her. "I already told you, imprinted on him. I'm not going to leave him. I don't have to love him. I am whatever he needs me to be, whether that is a guardian, babysitter, friend, playmate, or lover."

She snorted. "Babysitter?"

"Sometimes, yes." I admitted reluctantly. "One of the others, you've never met him, his imprint is a little girl. She was two when he imprinted. Now she's six."

She reacted the same way everyone did. Disgusted, horrified. "My god!"

"No, no, didn't you hear me? Right now he's her babysitter and friend, guardian, I guess. None of the mate shit will come till she's older and that's _if_ she chooses him. The imprint doesn't always choose their imprinter. And if she doesn't pick him as a…er…mate, then he'll always be her best friend. He just…probably won't ever get hitched."

"So…Sash might not pick you?" she asked hopefully.

I gritted my teeth and resisted the urge to slap her. "It's rare," I finally said evenly. "Because imprints are soul mates and the way you're talking, he seems to have chosen me." I turned to walk back inside.

"But you don't love him!"

I hesitated then turned to face her again. "I can't make a move like that. Maybe I do love him. You don't know. To be honest, imprinting pretty much ruined my life—"

"What?" she hissed and she sounded deadly.

"Not me." I said. "When my boyfriend, Sam, imprinted it pretty much fucked up my life. He dumped me to be with his imprint, who just so happened to be my cousin." I gave her a look.

"That's rough." Penny honestly sounded sympathetic.

"I don't need pity. I know it's rough. I lived through it." I lifted my chin. "But I'm _over _him. _I've moved on._ Like I said, I'm whatever Sash needs me to be. This is none of your business. Leave it alone." I opened the door and stormed away.

I should've known that bitch would tell him.

We were walking through the woods. Well, Sash was walking; I was romping around like a pup to make him laugh. He did look like he was getting a kick out of it, but something about his laughter sounded half-hearted. I finally turned around and pranced back to him, head high, tail curled, and when I got close enough, I pushed him to the ground with my paw.

"Hey!" he protested.

I chuckled, the low growl rumbling in my throat, then I walked behind a tree and phased, quickly throwing on my shirt and shorts. I came back around the tree, flopping down beside him, and sighed.

The silence between us quickly became awkward, but I had no idea how to break it. Sash, feeling the same nervousness, finally struck up a brief conversation.

"Your hair's getting long again."

I felt around for the edges and found them nearly to my chest again. As shape-shifters, our hair grew longer faster. "Hmm. Time to cut it again."

His face fell a bit. "You looked good with long hair."

"I want it short." I said firmly.

"Alright, it's your hair." he surrendered and we lapsed back into the silence that screamed for a conversation to start.

"Alright, that does it," I finally said. "What's eating you?"

Sash winced. "It's noth—"

"If you say 'it's nothing' I will personally see to it that your underwear is hung from the school flagpole on your last day with a banner proclaiming it yours."

He blinked rapidly, "Nothing that we can't discuss right now!"

"Nice save."

He scratched at the back of his neck. "Um…well, I…"

"I'm getting older here. Well, not really, but…"

He sighed. "Alright, then I'll just get right to it. Penny told me about the conversation you two had the other day."

My attitude changed instantly and I narrowed my eyes. "What exactly did she tell you?"

"She said…that when she asked you if you loved me that you didn't answer, but you said imprinting had ruined your life. …Is…it true?"

I growled through my teeth. "I really hate your sister, you know that?"

He jerked back. "She wasn't lying?"

"…No. What she said was true, but she gave you selective information. I did say imprinting ruined my life, but not my imprinting. When Sam imprinted on Emily, it ruined my life. I guess she forgot to mention the detail about Sam. And…I explained to her a bit about how imprinting works."

"And…when she asked you—"

"Yes, I never gave her a direct answer."

"Why?"

"I…I don't know." I sighed and hit my forehead with my fist. "I really just don't know. I'm just confused and I'm not the type who can just settle down. I wanted to go to college, I still do, but I have to wait. And…I'm getting sick of Alaska. I'm sick of all the snow and the winds. I'm sick of the constant smell of the bloodsuckers. I want to go south—to a city! Maybe LA, San Francisco..." I trailed off, realizing he was waiting. I sighed. "I…I can't do this right now."

I got to my feet, ready to leave, but his hand grasped mine firmly and gently eased me back down.

"No, finish what you were saying." He insisted. "What do you want to do?"

I swallowed. "I want the kids to get a taste of the city. I want them to learn to really mingle with humans. They can't stay with me forever, but they won't survive alone if they don't know how the world works outside of our territory. It'd have to be a big city so they wouldn't have to go to high school. They're still aging too fast. I want to attend a college. I want Seth to be able to as well. I want to live by the ocean again." I sighed. "I never thought I'd say this, but I miss the rain!"

He smiled knowingly. "And you just expect me to drop everything and follow you?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, no, of course not! But…"

"You wish I would?" he prompted and I nodded. "I will."

My eyes widened and my mouth fell open.

"You may be confused, but I'm not." He turned to face me completely. "I'm nineteen now, Leah. I'm a legal adult. I don't have to stay. I can drop out and vanish and no one can stop me. If you want to go down to California, or Oregon, Washington, hell, if you want to go to Texas, I'll follow you there. I love you, Leah, and I'm not afraid to follow you to kingdom come."

I looked away. "That's what I'm afraid of. That's what scares me. Sam said the same things to me."

Sash sighed impatiently, took my face in his hands, and turned it around. "I. Am. Not. Sam." he said slowly, emphasizing each word. "I'm not shape-shifter. I'm human. I don't imprint. Have two wolves ever imprinted on the same person?"

"No…"

"Have the imprinted humans ever cheated?"

"That…kind of thing usually didn't happen in the tribe in the old days."

"You know what I mean."

"Then, no, not to my knowledge."

"Exactly, Tikaani, you don't have to worry about that happening to us. As long as I have any say in it, I won't leave you. …So you'd better get used to me, cause you're stuck—hey now, don't cry."

"I'm _not_ crying!" I jerked away and wiped my eyes. "…I just have something in—"

"You were so crying."

"Was not!"

"Yes you were."

In the months that followed their birthday, I noticed significant changes in the kids. I really couldn't call them kids anymore. Puberty had hit them all and they were turning into young men and women before my eyes.

They lost their baby fat, the pure innocence about them, and something new replaced it. They were lean, muscular, and getting very tall. Luckily Alice had the foresight to buy them clothes that were up to three sizes larger. Their faces became more angular and they donned a wild beauty. Their strength was increasing rapidly. To test it, they each had arm wrestling contests with Emmett. He lost. They outran me, the fastest shape-shifter in the pack.

Renesmee was changing, too. She wasn't aging as fast as the werewolves but she could easily pass for fourteen or fifteen. There was something…_natural_ about her beauty. I couldn't explain it, but there was just something in her heart-shaped face, dark red hair, and chocolaty eyes that the vampires didn't have. In a way, she was more beautiful than Rosalie. Maybe it was her humanness.

Jacob was getting nervous and Edward seemed to be keeping his eyes particularly on my Alpha. It didn't take a genius to figure out why or a comedian to make jokes about it.

Rame and Scuro's voices started deepening, but even then they still cracked from time to time. It made everyone, especially their sisters, laugh. Seth taught them how to shave. Thank god they healed quickly because it didn't go well at first.

Neve and Luna grew out of the basic sports bras before April was over, but they didn't go over a b-cup. Perfectly average. Neve got very annoyed with the straps very quickly and her brothers teased them until she, Luna, and Renesmee ganged up and strapped bras onto the unprepared boys. They couldn't figure out how to unclasp them and putting shirts on didn't do much. I didn't let anyone help them out of them until I was sure they'd learned their lesson and were thoroughly humiliated.

I knew Emmett would never let it go and Alice had digital evidence.

The next big change was their hair. As children, the colors were identical to their pelts. Silver, russet, snow white, black…and dark sandy, of course, but it was starting to change. Luna's hair lost its pure silver color and turned to a silvery blonde, which was much more natural looking. Neve's darkened just a bit to platinum blonde, Rame's turned to dark red, and Scuro's stayed exactly the same. I imagined Alba's would've become more sandy.

But the part where they developed an attraction to the other gender never really kicked in. The girls didn't eye boys on TV like normal teenage girls, and Renesmee, did. (Much to Jacob's displeasure.) And it was the same for the boys. It was just…not there. It was like they were still viewing the other gender as normal children would. We were stumped.

At first, Dash seemed _very_ wary of them. He growled when they got too near, even Neve, and for a few days, he took to sleeping in the bed with me. But, gradually, he began to relax again. Neve was thrilled to have the furball as her stuffed animal again.

For Sash's graduation, all sixteen of us squeezed into the school gym along with the other families. I was the only one the people in town had ever seen. The sight of all of us seemed to startle the humans, except for Sash's family. I noticed Penny watching us warily. She undoubtedly knew some of what had happened between me and Sash in the forest. I really hoped she thought we were going to jump her or something.

When Sash crossed the stage we were cheering so loud I'm sure people in Seattle knew he was graduating. I cupped my hands around my mouth and howled as loud as I could and I was joined by my packmates just seconds later. On stage, Sash was laughing, his cheeks red, and everyone else was staring.

Afterwards, Brenda, Sash's mother hugged me, and thanked us for coming. Sash made a beeline for me, picked me up and hugged me. I laughed and thumped him on the back. Then his mother cleared her throat.

"What? No hug for me? I'm hurt."

"Aw, _Aama_." He reached over and hugged her then planted a kiss on her cheek.

Brenda invited us over for dinner but Esme and I were the only ones who went. I wasn't sure why Esme insisted on coming—she'd just have to throw the food up later—but I found out once we sat down to eat.

"So, Alexander," she said and I saw Sash tense up. "I overheard you talking to Leah about college—"

This was not true. Edward had heard Sash worrying about college and told Carlisle and Esme.

"—and how you hadn't been able to receive any scholarships."

"Yeah…" he said slowly and flashed me a quick glance. I shrugged. I had no idea where she was going either.

"Well, I would like to know what you would major in if you could attend a university."

Sash's eyes widened a bit. "Well, I was actually thinking of majoring in music with a minor in Native American studies."

Penny snorted. "News flash: you are one."

He glared. "I know, but I'd like to learn about the other cultures, too."

Esme smiled. "Did Leah tell you that she and Seth will be leaving in July?"

Sash looked at me in shock and I nodded. "We're going down to San Francisco to SFSU. I'm majoring in art."

Penny smirked and took a bite of her steak.

"I assume you two wouldn't be happy with a long-distance relationship," Esme said. "And seeing as this is promising to be a lasting relationship, I have a gift for you."

I grinned, suddenly realizing where Esme was going with this, and from the look on Brenda's face, she did too.

"Alexander, what would you say if we offered to pay for your full tuition, supplies, and room and board?"

Sash's eyes got as round as saucers. "I…uh…"

"You know we have a substantial amount to our name," she went on. "We've planned to send all our adopted children to college, and Carlisle and I decided to offer this to you as well."

"I would…I mean…I could never pay you back." He stuttered.

Esme smiled. "You wouldn't have to."

Tracy put her hand over her mouth, Lewis looked ready to burst with gratitude, and a tear trickled down Brenda's face. Penny looked, well, jealous.

"I…then…yeah!" Sash nodded enthusiastically. Esme smiled and withdrew from her purse the application to San Francisco State University.

"Normally, the application date is long, long past, but we had a few favors with the president of the college that we called in." Esme said. "You'll start in the fall." I grinned. She knew he'd say yes.

It was around mid-June, the kids were physically sixteen, when one thing Noami had warned me about long ago came true. I'd honestly forgotten about it.

Neve was in her room, practicing her abilities to make flowers grow, and I heard her start to retch. Then I heard her flying down the hall to the bathroom. I naturally followed her in and what I saw was startling. She was bending over the sink, chest heaving, lips drawn back in a snarl. She coughed and stuff dripped down from her mouth into the sink.

"Carlisle!" I shouted. He was down there two seconds later, examining her. At least, he tried to; she snarled at him the moment he got close, eyes blazing. She looked ready to attack, but then she doubled over, coughing and retching.

Carlisle, for once, seemed at a loss.

Neve made a gagging sound and managed to pull herself up to the sink and spat out a silvery-clear liquid. She continued to do so for several minutes. By then, everyone who wasn't out hunting was gathered just outside the door. I was beside Neve, rubbing her back and brushing her blonde hair out of her face.

When it was over, she stood, gasping, legs trembling, clutching the sink for support. She slid to the ground and I knelt down beside her, gently smoothing her hair down.

Carlisle inched forward cautiously and Neve watched him warily.

"Sorry," she rasped. "I didn't mean to earlier. I don't know what came over me."

"It's fine." He said, then smiled. "We are mortal enemies."

She laughed a bit then held her throat. "Water," she rasped.

He nodded and Bella was gone and back in an instant with a bottle of water. Neve drank it down greedily then sighed, grinning, and that's when I noticed her teeth. I gasped and took a step back.

Her teeth were pearly white, not a flaw anywhere, and her canines, were…pointed. She had, there was really no other word for it, fangs. Not like a traditional vampire's fangs. All four of her canines were pointed, not sticking out or anything, but the smoothly rounded tips were now needle sharp. The rest of her teeth weren't pointed, but you could tell just by looking they were sharp.

"Ok, now how come the werewolf gets fangs, but we don't?" Emmett complained.

"Shut up," I glared dangerously at him. Neve looked ready to panic.

"I have fangs?" she scrambled up and looked at her teeth in the mirror. She turned her head all around so she could examine them from every angle.

"They look a little like her teeth in wolf form." Jacob noted.

Neve looked down in the sink. By now all the liquid she'd spat up was gone. She plugged up the drain then spat. The liquid had been her saliva. It was still transparent, but there was a defiantly silver color to it.

Carlisle leaned forward and sniffed, wincing. "I think that's venom."

"Venom?" Luna whispered.

I racked my memories, trying to remember, and I did. "Noami mentioned this to me once. She said they would become venomous once they matured."

"What does it do?" Neve asked.

I shrugged. "Well, the ability to create new werewolves, I suppose, and maybe for wounding prey. I don't know."

Neve turned to examine her teeth again then picked the bottle up off the floor and lightly bit down. Her teeth pieced the plastic with ease. Then she bit on the door, an old shoe, and even the counter top. She broke through them all with ease.

"Sweet!" she shouted.

Luna got her teeth and venom next even though she was the youngest of them all, probably since girls mature faster than boys, then Scuro, then finally Rame. Renesmee was a little jealous.

The last real change was their eyes. As children, they'd been colors like, gray, blue, and green. However, not long after their teeth sharpened and they began to produce venom, their eyes started to change to a yellowy color, very similar the golden brown of the Cullens eyes, but there was more golden than yellow.

* * *

**Sash**

In thirty six days we'll be going to California. I'm really excited. I've never left Alaska. Leah's warned me the temperature change might take some getting used to, and the fact snow is practically nonexistent. I admit, that is going to be different.

I'm really gonna miss Mom, Uncle Lewis, Aunt Tracy, my friends, Twitch…hell I'll even miss Penny, even though she's been very mean. But Esme and Carlisle offered me a once in a lifetime opportunity. I couldn't refuse. Plus, it helped me keep my promise to Leah.

She, Seth, Rame, Luna, Neve, Scuro and I were getting a place near the campus. Oh, and of course, Dash would be coming, too. Jacob would be staying in Alaska with Renesmee, sadly. I would miss them, too. I asked how we would be able to get everything we needed, but I didn't need to worry.

Carlisle is having a special account set up, to which we all will have access to, that they will regularly refill and apparently Jasper has a friend who specializes in acquiring fake identification papers and such. Alice is setting up a special password protected website for the kids to get their assignments and an email for them to submit them to.

I asked Esme the other day where we would be living, but she wouldn't say. It seems everyone but the seven of us knew where we would be living and no one was dropping any hints! It's frustrating, but I like surprises.

"Hey! Sash!"

Luna's voice makes me look up. She's running towards the bench swing where I am sitting. The Cullens are away on a hunting trip and it was just the pack and me here.

She stops in front of me, looks around, then whispers, "Mama wants you! She's waiting in the forest."

I looked at her. "Really?" I whispered back.

She nodded eagerly. "Come on, I'll take you there. But keep quiet! She says it's important but she doesn't want anyone else to know!"

I nod and follow her into the trees. She's moving quickly, I have to run to keep up, and after a good five minutes pass, I'm wondering how much more I have to go.

Then Luna slows down. "She's right up there!" she points ahead to a fallen log. I see her raven hair poking up from the other side.

I smile and walk towards her. I half-expect her to turn, but she doesn't move at all. I jump the log and open my mouth to greet her, but words never come.

It's not Leah. It's just a black wig over a rock molded to fill the shape of a head. As I'm processing this, I hear Luna running towards me, then I'm yanked up and thrown over the log. I land on the ground and the air whooshes out of me. As I'm gasping down air, Luna looms over me. Her yellowy eyes seem to glow and she seems somewhat amused.

"What's…going…on?" I gasp. "Where's Leah!"

"I lied."


	37. The Betrayer

*******August 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

********This chapter includes a _deleted_ scene that never made it into the original version. I decided to bring it back for the edited version****

* * *

**Sash**

"Y-you…why?" I struggle to sit up but she kicks me down. I gasp and hold my stomach. When I can talk again, I spit out, "What's going on?"

Luna reaches down and lifts me up with ease, like Leah's done many times before. Only, it's different. I always see a teasing glint in Leah's eyes or on her face. Luna's face is amused, she's enjoying this, but not the way Leah does. Leah's reminding me why I don't have to worry, or why I should never engage in an arm wrestling match, or any athletic competition, with her or Seth or Jacob.

Luna's not teasing me.

"What's going on?" I repeat, starting to panic. "Let go."

She whirls ago, letting me go in midair. I feel myself flying through the air before I hit something hard and the world goes black. When I come to, she's kneeling over me, prodding me with a sharp stick. "Nnnghh…" I mutter. My head hurts.

"Oh good," she says brightly. "You're awake! I was hoping that I hadn't killed you."

"Like you care." I'm surprised how harsh I sound.

She pouts. "Oh, that hurts. Really."

I try to sit up, and brace myself for a kick, but it doesn't come. She allows me to sit up and I lean against the tree. "What the hell is going on?" I growl.

Luna sighs, stands up, and starts to pace. There's something in her gait that makes me feel like a cornered animal. "I have a problem, Sash."

"A mental one." I mutter.

She stops, bends down, picks up a rock, and holds it out for me to see. As I watch, flames erupt from inside. She hurls it at me and I barely dodge it in time. Her eyes blaze with rage.

"_You_ are my problem, Sash."

"What…what did I ever do to you?" I shout. Seriously, I've never been anything but kind to her since I met her.

Luna tilts her head and regards me for a moment. "I didn't have a problem with you at first. You were nice enough and Mama smiled more. …But then she started brushing us aside to go to your house. She started…paying more attention to you than to us." She clenched and unclenched her fists.

"I can't help what Leah does," I tell her. "You've lived with her your whole life. You should know."

"Yes, I know." She sighs. "That's why…this is my only option…"

I wait.

She purses her lips and studies me again. "I hoped that…Alba's…death would make her not want you around."

I jerk in shock. "Don't tell me _y__ou_ killed Alba!"

She shoots forward and slaps me so hard I see literally stars for a few seconds. "How _dare_ you?" she snarls. "I would never hurt my sister! I still think you had something to do with that."

"I didn't! I swear!"

"Oh really? Then why'd you take us there on the week of a monster storm? Why did you suddenly grow too weak when we were trying to let them back in?"

"Because I'm human!" I shout. "I don't have the gift of never getting cold or relentless stamina!"

"Hmm." She folds her arms and I can see she doesn't believe me. She's had over a year to convince herself I'm guilty. She's too far gone to be convinced otherwise.

I have a bad feeling that this isn't going to go well. My only chance is to run. I scramble off and sprint away from the log the wig is still poking out of. I don't get far before something hard hits the back of my legs and I go down with a thump.

"I want to kill you, but I won't. You're going to go and never come back. If you do, if you tell anyone what happened here today, in any way shape or form, I'll kill you. There won't be anywhere you can hide."

I scramble up, but I don't run, I just face her. "And how do you expect me to keep Leah away?"

"You're a guy. Break up with her. That's what guys do. That college thing Esme promised? Say you don't want it."

I wince and stuff my hands in my pockets. "I promised her I wouldn't leave her."

Luna growls and starts to pace again. When she's not looking, I press speed dial on my phone then the number 2. Leah. Then I turn the audio as low as it can go. I hope Leah's answered already.

"So, if I don't leave Leah and cut all ties with her…you'll kill me?"

"Correct," she says matter-of-factly, a hint of a smile on her face.

"How would you do it, Luna?"

Her smile becomes feral, "As slowly and painfully as possible."

From my pocket, there's a very muffled shriek. And if I hear it…

Luna's eyes widen and she darts forward, yanking my hand out and my phone with it. I hit the end button quickly, but it's too late. She's seen the name of the person I called. She yanks the phone out of my hand and hurls it into a tree. Good thing that wasn't a prepaid.

"I really didn't want to do this," she growls and pushes my hand back. White hot heat explodes within my wrist and I grit my teeth so I don't scream**. **I guess from the searing pain that she broke it

I try to jerk away but it only causes more pain. She lets my wrist drop and I cradle it protectively. Her eyes are glowing dangerously.

"If…if you stop now maybe she'll forgive you." I say shakily. _Oh, God, Leah, please find me!_

"No she won't. I don't mean shit to her anymore." There's so much venom in her voice, so much conviction, that it makes me feel sorry for her.

But that's not going to save my ass. I turn and take off towards the house, screaming at the top of my lungs. "HELP!"

I haven't gone more than ten meters when she rams into me. My wrist is on fire. She kicks me over so I'm on my back, facing up. She raises her hand; she's clutching something that's on fire.

So this is how it ends?

She throws the flaming object down and I reach up to swipe it away. Now both my hands are burning and I can't stop a strangled cry from escaping through my clenched teeth.

A snarl makes me turn my head and I smile just a bit as I see a very familiar gray wolf racing toward me. Above me, Luna growls and I look in time to see her free hand shoot down and lift me up by the neck of my shirt. She growls again then I feel her teeth pierce my neck.

I can't fully describe the pain. It's like I'm being stabbed by a huge butcher knife and fire's shooting through my neck.

I scream in agony and spots form in my vision. I feel her tug hard and I swear she's just ripped a chunk from my neck. I fall to the ground, screaming a gurgled cry. I can't see. Whether it's because my eyes are closed or from something else, I can't tell. I can't move, either. It's like all my muscles have locked in place and my mouth is glued shut. But I can still feel.

My burnt hand stings, my wrist throbs, my neck burns and I feel something cool trickling down my throat…

Something rough and wet starts to run across my neck. At first it stings and I whimper, but it quickly it becomes soothing. The pain is…fading from my neck. Like it's being healed. I hope I'm not right, but I think someone's licking me…

There it is again! This time it's on my burnt hand. Something cool and soft bumps into my wrist and pain shoots through it. I whimper again. A low grumble.

I hear snarls and growls coming from a few feet away. Someone's fighting…

And me…it's like I'm floating, paralyzed, in a black void, where the only thing is sound.

But then, that too, gradually fades away.

* * *

**Leah**

It went against the grain, fighting Luna, the smallest of the pups I'd been charged with those many months ago. I couldn't bring myself to deliver any blow that would do more than scratch her. Jacob, and Seth, fighting along side me, seemed to be having the same issues. However, the three of us should have been able to subdue her, but for some reason we couldn't.

Finally, after delivering a blow to her shoulders, I jumped back. _I can't…I can't…_

Luna jumped away from Jacob and Seth, crouching in defense. They prowled around, back and forth, but they didn't strike. She shifted to keep the back of her neck protected, growling dangerously. Her yellow eyes glowed.

_How could you, Luna?_ Scuro shouts.

Luna snarled. _I was doing it for all of us!_

_Doing what? _Neve shrieked. _You were going to kill him!_

_No I wasn't. _She protested. _I…was just going to rough him up a bit. I was going to let him go._

'_Rough him up a bit?' You tore out his throat! _Rame spat. _You burned him! You broke his hand!_

I snarled at Luna, tensing to spring, and dug my claws into the ground. _You…you…gragh!_ I snarled again, gnashing my teeth together.

_What the fuck happened, Luna? _Jacob snarled. _What did he do? And don't you _dare _lie._

Luna flinched under the harsh command. _He refused to leave. I told him to leave and don't come back and he wouldn't._

_Why? _I asked. _Why would you do that?_

Her eyes narrowed. _I hate him. He killed Alba!_

_What?_ I screamed. _What the fuck are you talking about?_

_It's his fault we were there that weekend! It's his fault we couldn't get the door open for them!_

I shook my head. _He didn't know the storm was coming. None of us did until we saw it on the television. _

_Right! _She screeched. _Protect him!_ She sprang at me. I reared up to defend myself, but Seth sprang first, ramming into Luna. They landed a few feet away and Seth skipped back a few feet; his fur was so fluffed up he looked twice his size. I dropped back down, growling instinctively.

_So you all pick the _human _over me?_ Luna spat.

Jacob snarled and took a step forward. She automatically shrank backwards. He towered over her and growled. _Get out._

Luna froze. Her eyes widened. _Wh-what?_

_You brought this on yourself. Get out!_

I winced and whined. I hated her more in that moment than I had ever hated anyone…but I didn't want her to go. _Jacob…_ I whispered. _She's…we can't just kick her out. _

Jacob turned his head and looked at Sash. For a moment, I did too. He was unconscious; Rame, Scuro, and Neve were standing over him protectively. He didn't look like he was wounded anymore, oddly enough, but I could see the pool of blood he was lying in. The kids looked heartbroken.

_Look what she did,_ He said gently. _What if she tries it again?_

_She…she won't! _I looked at her pleadingly. I loved Sash, but I loved her too. I hated her, but I didn't want her to be kicked out. God, it was so confusing. _We can talk about this, Luna, whatever's wrong, we can talk. _

_Fuck talking! _She spat, eyes blazing. _There's no talking about it! Him. Or. Me._

Jacob sighed again and gave me an apologetic look. _Get out._ He repeated with his Alpha voice, hurling the words at her with so much power that I could feel it reverberating through the link. _Get out. You are not one of us anymore._

Luna winced and stumbled back, as if being close to us physically hurt her. _Guys…_ she looked at her brothers and sister. _Guys don't let them do this…_

Neve whimpered once, flattening her ears, but she turned away from her sister. Rame hesitated, and for a moment I thought he was going to protest, but then he bowed his head and wouldn't meet her eyes. Scuro didn't even look at her.

Luna growled, baring her teeth, and for a moment, her eyes met mine. _Bye, _Mama_!_

She turned and sprinted away into the trees. I whined loudly and took a step after her, but I felt Seth leaning into me. _I'm so sorry, Leah. …Maybe I never should have brought them to you. They just keep hurting you._

I shook my head. _No, I'm glad you did. _I stared after her until her silver body disappeared in the distance.

_Goodbye._ I whispered, then I turned away.

_Mama, I think something's wrong._ Neve was licking his face. _He's way too hot._

_Well, she knows that._ Seth teased

Neve snarled. _Not like that! He's heating up quickly._

I raced over and put my paw on his hand. She was right. He was way too hot for his own good and his breathing was increasing.

_She bit him, Mama._ Scuro reminded me.

I swallowed and whined uneasily.

_Let's get him inside. _Jacob ordered.

Back at the house we set him on the couch in Carlisle's room then Jacob called him. He was a bit annoyed, they'd been ready to take down an entire herd, but when we told him what had happened he said he'd be home in twenty minutes.

While we were waiting, I carefully cleaned the dried blood off his throat and cheek. I tried to be gentle, he was hurt enough already. I paused after I was done scrubbing his cheek to gently push the hair out of his face.

When Carlisle showed up he wasted no time and got right to work, but quickly encountered some problems. Sash was, except for the gentle rise and fall of his chest, completely unconscious. We couldn't wake him at all. He tried to take his temperature orally, only to find Sash's mouth was locked shut.

"She bit him, you say?" he asked us after a minute of silence.

I nodded. "Yeah. She saw us getting close and she took a chunk out of his neck."

He tried to turn Sash's head, but it wouldn't move, so he examined what he could see of what was left of the wound. There was, indeed, a dent and a bite mark, but it didn't look too bad.

"He's healed at a drastic rate." Carlisle noted.

"That was me," Neve said from nearby. "I licked his wound and it just started to heal. But we didn't think it was a good idea to put the skin back on. And Scuro got his hand. Luna…she…she burnt him."

"Hmm. It seems your venom has healing properties…as well as harming ones."

"What do you mean?"

"This is just a theory, but I think your venom has a paralyzing effect." Carlisle checked Sash's pulse again. "He's conscious. He's completely conscious, but his muscles have locked into place. His vitals are what they should be if he's conscious."

I sat down on the couch and pulled his head into my lap. He was burning with fever, but there wasn't a drop of sweat.

I knew that the pain vampire venom caused was supposed to render the victim useless so the vampire can go for the kill or…. Perhaps werewolf venom paralyzed the victim for the same reasons. "Carlisle…you don't think he's…he's…."

"Changing?" Carlisle guessed. "I don't know. This is nothing like the vampire change. Bella was silent, but we could move her. We need to keep an eye on him."

I nodded and tucked my legs under me. "I'm not going anywhere."

"So Luna did this…" he murmured. "I think I need to talk to Jasper. For something this big…there must've been emotional turmoil. He had to have noticed… "

"There's been emotional turmoil in all of us." Jacob grumbled. "What with Alba and puberty and the prospect of the move…"

Carlisle nodded. "She was really smart. She must've been planning this…and used the current events as a cover for her emotions. She waited until all of us were hunting so we wouldn't hear or sense this."

Scuro snarled softly. "How could she do this?"

I stayed on that couch all day, gently running my fingers through his hair, speaking softly to him. He didn't respond once. We tried to move Sash's limbs to remove his bloodstained shirt, but there was no way in hell to get him to move. We finally just had to cut the shirt off and drape a blanket over him. Carlisle made everyone steer clear of his office when they got home and then quietly explained the situation. I knew that he was being quiet mostly for my benefit, but it didn't matter. I heard every word.

I dozed off a few times, but then I always snapped awake, feeling guilty. But nothing happened. Bella brought me a sandwich, which was left, untouched on the table beside me until Emmett came up and picked up Sash not letting me get close enough to grab him back until I agreed to eat.

Then he watched as I swallowed each bite of the food that reeked of bloodsuckers—like everything else in that goddamn room—and only when I finally had swallowed the last bite did he release poor Sash's arm and exit the room, taking the plate with him.

"Asshole." I muttered. He just laughed.

Sometime around midnight—roughly twelve hours after he was bitten—his body started to heat up quickly. Within minutes he was so hot that it hurt to touch him. I had no choice but to roll him onto the floor. He landed with a loud thud. Carlisle was up there instantly and when he touched Sash's skin, he jerked back and a word I never thought I'd hear him say slid through his clenched teeth.

I raised my eyebrows.

"Sorry," he apologized quickly. "I think we need to get him outside."

"You really think he's—"

"Changing? Yes." He pointed to Sash's bare torso. His muscles were rippling and his heart was beating so fast I could see it against the skin. His breaths were quickly becoming pants and he dug his nails into the floor.

"Shit…" I whispered.

Jacob volunteered to carrySash outside to the garden. The snow was currently absent and the grass was prickly, so Jacob had to bear the extreme heat Sash was radiating until Neve could get a nice patch of lush, soft grass to place him on. However, by that point, I don't think it would've mattered if we'd set him down on mulch. He was gasping for air and it looked as if thousands of tiny creatures were pushing his skin up in their attempts to escape the scorching prison. The puckered bite wound on his throat was pulsing.

I found myself slowly backing away from him. The others were, too, even the three werewolves.

His mouth opened and he let out a strangled scream of agony. His teeth were startlingly white and sharpened like Neve, Rame, and Scuro's. His back arched up off the ground and his hands clawed at the grass.

Rame screamed, too, and threw his hands up. The air around us picked up instantly, swirling around and into the sky. Scuro managed to link arms with his brother and threw his hands up too. Neve was having a hard time holding her hair in check, but she had her eyes trained upward, too. I decided to bite. I looked up and spotted their work instantly. A humungous cloud was blocking a portion of the sky that I just _knew _contained the moon; they were trying to remove it. Moonlight is exactly what he needed.

It seemed like forever—Sash screamed, the wind blew, and my heart thudded audibly in my chest—before the clouds finally broke apart and moonlight shown down on us all. The boys collapsed against the grass; Neve sat beside them with her hands on each of them. Jacob and Seth looked totally freaked out. The Cullens were looking at Sash or the kids while smoothing down hair and clothes.

The moon was only three quarters of the way full, but the moment the light hit Sash's skin he went completely still. Then his eyes snapped open and he took a single breath. I leaned forward and gasped softly. His eyes were yellow and fixed on the moon. He took another breath.

"Sash?"

He took another breath. Then he started screaming. His body arched off the ground, as if his heart was trying to reach the moon. Then he flopped back down. His skin was bubbling again, his muscles rippling, his entire body shaking. He sat up abruptly then rocked forward so he was on his hands and knees.

"Help…me…!" he gasped, looking at me desperately. He reached his hand towards me but I didn't dare grasp it.

"Sash!" Scuro shouted. "Don't fight it!"

"Help!" he gasped again. "I…can't…" Then he screamed wordlessly, a rough, guttural cry.

His hands dug into the earth, tearing up grass, soil, and Lord only knows what else. His body started to ripple, starting from his stomach, undulating all the way out. Then there was a sound like every bone in his body snapping at the same time. He screamed again. His body jerked around then he started to inflate.

He grew larger, and larger. Hair sprouted from his arms and legs, but I could see no definite color. It was every color possible for a wolf and yet, at the same time, colorless. His body changed shape, nails gave way to claws. A thick, bony tendril shot out from his spine and then fur grew from it, too. His face changed, his nose and mouth elongating into a snout as his teeth changed shape. His screams turned to screeching howls and snarling. His legs and arms changed shape, his hands and feet shifted into paws.

Then, just as soon as it began, it was over. He collapsed onto the ground, his sides heaving as he gasped air. Everything was silent except for his panting, as if the transformation had chased away all creatures from the face of the Earth. But the most remarkable thing was he himself. He was a wolf.

As I watched, the fur started to take on a definite color, and I found tears streaming down my cheeks. He was a white wolf, just as I'd always imagined.

"Sash?" I whispered.

Slowly, the white wolf that was Sash started to get up. He was trembling. He took a deep breath then froze for half a second, yellow eyes widening, then he spun around to face the Cullen coven. His hackles rose up and his tail lashed. A fierce, predatorial growl rose up in his throat and his lips drew back from his razor sharp teeth.

"Oh shit," Emmett growled from somewhere behind me.

I did the first thing that made sense. I walked towards him, never breaking stride, and phased. _Sash._

His ears flicked towards me but he didn't take his eyes off the Cullens.

_Alexander Dawson, look at me right now._ I said firmly.

_Look at me, Sash._

But he was too intent on the vampires to pay any attention to me, never mind do what I asked. So I looked at Jacob for help and he phased, standing between Sash and the vampires. _I am the Alpha here. You will do what I say._ He growled, baring his teeth.

Sash whined, flinching away from the larger wolf. His eyes flicked between the vampires and Jacob, unsure which was the higher priority.

_Leave them alone,_ Jacob Black ordered.

Sash shrank back under the weight from Jacob's command. All signs of hostility vanished and he flattened his ears, crouching down with his shoulders hunched. Jacob continued to glare but I could sense his uneasiness. He didn't like the power he had.

_Look at me, Sash._ I whispered, wondering if he would know me as a wolf. Dimly, I recalled Noami warning me about volatile Changlings once.

Sash didn't move.

_She is…Beta. _Jacob growled, looming over him. _You will also do as she says._

Sash flinched under the command and slowly lifted his eyes to mine. And when they met mine his entire body stiffened, his fur fluffing up. He remained still for an agonizingly long minute. No one spoke. No one moved. Then Sash's fur slowly began to smooth down.

_Leah._ His voice filtered into my mind and I exhaled in relief. _Leah?_ He repeated, as if unsure.

_Yes._ I said, sliding a little closer. _It's me._

_Leah._ He repeated. _Beta. Mate. Mine._

The thoughts sounded so strange. As if he was thinking differently than we were—more primal, instinctive. More like a wolf. I suppressed a shiver. Was this how it would always be for him?

_Yes. _I said slowly, crouching down beside him. He extended his head towards me and licked my cheek. I scooted closer, pressing my fur against his and he sighed and rested his head on my forepaws. It was only then that I realized we were alone outside with just the pack. The Cullens had managed to slip away unnoticed by Sash and Seth, Scuro, Rame, and Neve were waiting for some sort of command.

Jacob flicked his tail towards them and stomped his foot once. Seth seemed to get it and he shifted into his wolf form, the kids following suit. Sash raised his head to study them.

_Pack, _he said, looking at each of the wolves. _My pack? _

_Yeah, we're your pack._ Neve said.

Then he seemed to realize what was going on because his eyes bugged out of his head and he jumped to his feet with a surprised yelp.

_What's going on? What happened to me?_ He looked down at himself and yelped again. _I'm a wolf! I'm a _wolf_! What the hell is going on? Did someone spike my drink? _

_Where have you been lately with people would've spiked your drink?_ Jacob asked curiously.

_I don't know! Oh, talk me down, man, someone talk me down!_

_You were bitten. _Seth said. _Luna bit you._

_Luna…Luna she said…she said she was going to kill me if I didn't leave you, Leah._

_I know._ I said softly. _You called me and I heard part of the conversation. Remember? _

He blinked.

_We showed up in time to watch her rip your throat out. It's thanks to Neve, Scuro, and Rame that you survived to Change._

Sash gazed at the werewolves warily. _Do you want to kill me, too?_

_No!_

_Of course not._

_Hell no._

_Where's Luna? _Sash asked, his hackles going up.

_I kicked her out._ Jacob said. _She ran off. _

_Oh…_Sash whispered.

For the remainder of that night we stayed outside, letting Sash get his fill of the moonlight, explaining to him about being a wolf, and running with him. Come dawn, however, we encountered a problem. How would he change back? _Could_ he change back? …Would it be like last time? But, in the end, it was decided that he had to change back. Or at least try.

Neve talked him through it, then we sat back and watched as he shifted back. It wasn't as horrible as the first change, but it was obvious that it was difficult on him. However, when he was human, he happily announced that the pain was nowhere near as bad.

"Do it one more time." Carlisle instructed and Sash protested. "Look, if it hurts, you can stop, but this will help me understand things, which will help you, too."

Sash frowned, but then shifted once again. He went right to wolf form. None of that freaking morphing from before, just a clean phase, slipping from one skin and then back to then other when he phased back to human. Carlisle theorized that the first transformations were only difficult because the changes were alien to it.

Then we encountered more problems. He had grown in his human form, he was a few inches taller than me, and he'd developed some new muscles. That meant, of course, that none of the clothes he had would be any use to him. Thankfully, Seth had clothes that would fit him. I helped Edward and Bella whip up food for all of us. After we sat down to eat, we discovered Sash's appetite had tripled. After he was full to the brim, he collapsed on the couch downstairs and slept solidly till the next morning.

"He's been through an ordeal." Carlisle said when we tried to wake him for dinner. "Just let him rest."

When he did finally wake, I was sleeping. I gasped in shock when I woke up to find him sitting on my bed, studying me with his curious yellow eyes.

"My senses are a lot better," was the first thing he said to me. "I can see practically every detail of your skin."

I smiled. "Pretty cool, huh?"

He nodded. "Makes you look prettier."

I blushed. "You're so sweet."

"The other day, Leah, when I was a wolf… the first time I saw you…I think I…_imprinted._ Or whatever werewolves do to identify their mate, I think I did it. I looked at you and I _knew_. But I don't feel like…like the way you said Jacob feels about Renesmee."

"It must be different for werewolves," I said. Inside, I was very happy that he'd been able to identify me as his mate with him being so confused and new to the wolf ways. "Now scram, I have to get dressed."

"I'm hurt, really." He said, but left anyway.

We then had a new problem. Sash had been supposed to return home the previous day and his cell phone had been destroyed so his mother's calls had not gone through. Hence the frantic call we received at nine in the morning. Carlisle told her that he was asleep and he'd call when he woke up which gave us less than an hour to come up with a plan.

"Maybe she won't notice," Rame suggested hopefully.

Sash snorted. "Please. I look like a fucking bodybuilder, my eyes are yellow, and I'm way taller than five-nine! She'll notice."

Rame sighed.

"I think…I think we have to tell them." I said to Jacob. "It should be safe. Our families know what we are and about the Cullens." I looked over at Sash. "What do you think?"

He didn't say anything, but he eventually nodded. "Just…just not Pap and Nana."

"Why not?" I asked.

"I don't want them to know." He said. "I just…I feel like I betrayed them, somehow. So, no. Just my mom, uncle, aunt, and…well…Penny I guess."

Thirty minutes later, Jacob, Seth, the kids, Sash, and I were pulling into Sash's driveway. The Cullens had unanimously decided to not make themselves a part of this and hadn't come with us. We all piled out of the car and Jacob lead the pack to the door. Sash moved to the front to open the door and then he shuffled behind Seth again. I put my arm around him.

"Sash, you're grounded!" his mother shouted from somewhere on the other side of the house.

Sash winced. "_Aama, _I need you…to come here."

A moment later, Brenda emerged from the kitchen with her hands on her hips. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw all of us standing there. Sash kept his head down.

"And…and I need to talk to everyone in the living room." He said and glanced up at me. "I mean, _we_ need to talk to everyone."

Brenda made a quick round about the house, collecting Penny from her bedroom and Lewis and Tracy from theirs. The rest of us waited uncomfortably in the living room, standing in a tense line. Dimly, I realized we'd sorted ourselves by rank; me by Jacob's right shoulder, Seth at his left, and the others flanking us. Sash stood next to me, his body quivering with the promise of a shift coming. I rubbed my hand up and down his spine. It seemed to have some calming effect on him because his tremors diminished.

Penny gave us a hostile look as she sat down on the couch, arms folded. Her accusing eyes traveled up and down our line, Neve let out a quiet snarl that made Penny flinch. When Lewis and Tracy were seated on the couch, Sash exhaled slowly.

"What's going on?" Brenda asked.

"_Aama, _you might want to sit down." He said, still not looking up.

"Alexander," She whispered. "You're…taller. So are you." Her eyes narrowed as she studied Scuro, Rame, and Neve. "No, you three are older. Way older. What's going on?"

"You might want to sit down." He repeated. She didn't sit, choosing to remain standing near the couch.

Jacob cleared his throat. "There's…there's no real easy way to say this, but … something's … happened."

"To Sash," I added.

"What's wrong?" Lewis asked, leaning forward. He frowned.

I took a step forward, away from Sash, and looked directly into his mother's eyes. "Mrs. Dawson, we have lied to you. We've lied to you all from the moment we met. We, all of us, we're not human."

Penny made a quiet noise that sounded like a growl.

"Seth, Jacob, and I are shape-shifters. Which, basically, means we inherited the genetic ability to shift into wolves; we've been doing it for about five years now. Scuro, Rame, Neve, and Luna are werewolves. So was Alba.""

"So am I." Sash said, still not looking up. "_Aama, _I'm a werewolf. Okay?"

It was dead silent in the room for several moments, then Penny jumped to her feet. "Youbitch!" she shouted at me.

I rounded on her, pulling my lips back automatically.

"Penelope, what in the world are you—" Tracey exclaimed.

"I didn't do it to him!" I snarled, drowning out her voice. "What I am is genetic and, goddamn it, I've told you that!"

Penny continued to glare at me. "But I bet you're happy now, aren't you? What'd you do? Have one of those little dog-kids do it? He's one of the pack now, ain't he? You bitch."

A tremor rocked through my body and I bared my teeth, "What the _hell_ did you just call them?"

"Enough!" Brenda shouted. My head snapped around. The woman was shaking her head slowly, eyes closed, her hands pressed against her head. I forced myself to calm down. Penny and I could duke it out later. It wasn't a good idea for me to phase here in the house, anyway.

"This…is… Get out." Brenda Dawson said suddenly. She looked up at us, resolve burning in her eyes. "Out. All of you."

"Nice going, guys." Rame muttered.

"_Aama,_" Sash tried to reason but she told him to shut up.

"Go to your room…right now, Alexander." She ordered. "I'll be there to talk to you in a minute. The rest of you get out. Now. Get out or I swear I'll call the Sheriff."

I shook my head. "I can't do that. Mrs. Dawson, please, just listen—"

"Don't speak to me." Brenda seethed. "I cannot believe this. I thought you were a nice girl. I really did. I thought you cared about him."

"I do." I said. "I love him." And I was struck by how right the words sounded so I said them again, with conviction. "I love Sash. I loved him when he was human and I love him now."

I heard Sash's intake of breath and I threw him a smile.

"Out!" This time it was Lewis who said it. His glared at us with undisguised disgust. He thought we were crazy, they all did. "Out of this house, now!"

I glared at him then backed away, sliding my arm around Sash's waist.

"Oh for God's sake, _get away from my son!_" Brenda shrieked, moving towards us like she could physically pull him away. She actually managed to get her hand on his arm before he intervened.

"Stop it, Mom!" Sash said, glaring at her with the full force of his yellow eyes and she recoiled as if he'd burned her.

She uttered a small wail of a scream. "Oh my God! Oh my God! His eyes! Look!"

And that was when they started to believe us. Or, at least, they calmed down enough to let us talk. Well, after they got over the whole shock of seeing Sash with yellow eyes.

So for the next half hour, we gave them a basic overview of the shape-shifters of La Push, skipping over the vampire details, and then I began to tell them some of what I knew about werewolf anatomy and an overview of the legends. They listened. One of them would ask a question occasionally, but most of the time, they remained silent. Just listening. Glaring, in Penny's case.

And when we were done, a suffocating silence descended on the house as the Dawsons tried to take in everything they'd just been told, except for Penny who seemed to be having a telepathic conversation with Sash. Their eyes remained locked, only breaking contact when one of them blinked. Every once in a while, Lewis, Tracy, or Brenda would stare at the pack, usually me in particular, for a long time before looking away.

A loud meow startled us all as Twitch the tabby cat made one of his rare appearances. He stood in the doorway, surveying the scene in the living room with his head cocked to one side as if listening for something. He meowed loudly again and padded over to Sash, tail high, but when he got close, he froze, dead in his tracks, one paw still in the air. He sniffed, his nostrils flaring, and then the fur along his back stood straight up. Sash made eye contact with the cat and Twitch pulled his lips back and let out a ferocious hiss at his owner.

Sash looked genuinely hurt and I was reminded of Dash's reaction to the kids as they'd come into their predator attributes. Of course. As pups, the kids were as unthreatening as any other baby animal, but when they'd matured, turning into natural predators, animals instinctively could sense it, the way they could with vampires. Sash, in the switch from human to werewolf, had obtained yellow eyes and sharp canines. He was a predator in Twitch's home and Twitch was ready to defend his life and his turf.

I wondered why animals had never reacted this way to the shape-shifters. Maybe it was because we had some mixture between harmless human and dangerous wolf in us that balanced out in a way most animals liked. Who knew?

Anyway, back to Twitch. The tabby was positively alarmed and was rigid with fear, making horrible low growling noises. No one seemed to know what do to. Finally, I knelt down in front of Sash and held my arms out. Twitch had taken a liking to me before, knowing damn well I wasn't human. His yowls quieted and his amber eyes bored into my dark ones. Finally he let out a piteous mew and scurried over to me. I scooped him up in my arms and smoothed down his back fur.

Sash sighed. "Great. My own cat hates me."

"Just give him some time." Neve said and just like that, the tension in the room seemed to evaporate. "Dash _hated _us for a few weeks after we got our eyes and teeth."

Brenda smiled just a bit. "Why?"

Neve shrugged. "I don't know. But now he likes me again. I guess maybe he got used to me. Sometimes you've just got to give things time so you can get used to them, you know?" she gave her a meaningful look.

Sash's mother nodded then sighed. "And…I take it…there's no cure?"

I winced. That was the wrong thing to say. The kids stared at her indignantly and even Sash seemed a little offended.

"Is there a cure for humanity?" Scuro asked icily, narrowing his eyes.

"No. I'm sorry. That was very rude of me." She apologized, blushing.

"Hmm." He said, still glowering at her.

Then Tracey quietly asked if she could see us transform. "Never mind that right now," Lewis said. "What are you going to do, Alexander?"

"Same thing I was going to do before I was able to sprout fur. I'm going to go with them to California and I'm going to college." Sash said firmly. "There's no reason I can't."

"And after college?"

Sash shrugged, "One thing at a time. I've got a very long life ahead of me, now. Though, it's safe to bet that wherever I go, it'll be with her." And he squeezed my hand.

That was all Penny could take. She stood up, glaring icily at me, then stormed out of the room. I heard her door slam shut a few moments later.

"And what will you do until you move?" Brenda asked as if her daughter hadn't just stormed out "Will you live here or…" she glanced at Jacob. "Is he not _allowed _to?"

"As Alpha," Jacob said. "I have given him permission to live wherever he wants. He doesn't _have _to stay with the pack right now. But, as a friend, I suggested he stay with us at the Cullen's house so we can monitor him. New shape-shifters are always volatile and he might be the same. Better safe than sorry. Actually, I'm surprised he hasn't gone all furry yet."

"The Cullens," Brenda said. "What, exactly, do they have to do with this?"

"That," I said, "is something we can't tell you. Trust me, it's for your own good."

And the tension returned. I could see each of the adults pondering what that could mean, wondering if Sash was safe. Then Seth quietly remarked that we should get back before someone started to worry about us. Brenda made a soft noise of protest, but she quickly surrendered and pulled her son into a hug. I saw her flinch when she came in contact with his toasty skin, but other than that, she was completely fine. She stared up at his yellow eyes for a long moment then kissed his cheek.

"Anyone wearing anything they can't bear to part with?" Jacob asked quietly while we were on the way out. No one was. "Then, why don't we…show off?" He grinned impishly in a way only he could. "You know, just this once."

Sash glanced back at the doorway and I did, too. The three adults were standing in the doorway and Penny was watching us from the second floor. "Alright. Sure. But if you give my mom a heart attack, I'll kicking your ass, man."

"Ladies first," Neve sang and jumped forward, throwing her head back, and phased midair. Scuro and Seth lunged after her, followed by Rame, Sash, Jacob, and finally myself. We loped a few paces into the forest before Sash turned around to face his family again.

Penny seemed enraptured by the sight, staring at us from her window with an open mouth. On the porch, Tracey's eyes had bugged out of her head, Lewis seemed impressed, and Brenda had her hands over her mouth, almost managing to suppress a scream.

_Oh yeah, check this out, guys. _Sash tossed his head, rearing up playfully, and barked twice.

I reared up, too, and shoved him over with my paws. _Showoff. _

He growled playfully and lunged at me. I danced back gracefully and stuck my tongue out at him and raced away from him. Sash looked back at his family once more then bolted after me.

That was the last time he ever saw them.


	38. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

**Hi guys! I'm doing pretty good. One of my bestest friends, Wendy, (ya'll might know her as Michelle if you read _Fire and Ice_) was with me at the hospital yesterday, got me a cookie, and laughed at my super-morphine hallucinations. DANCING MICE, PEOPLE! Yeah, she's here now and is typing this for me (HI!) since I'm really one-handed. Again. BLEH!**

**My hand hurts like hell, my foot/leg does, too. I'm a little dizzy and my mom is like my personal slave. Seriously. I can't do anything, really. She even has to help me get into the bathroom... I've been using one crutch to support most of my weight instead of using my right foot. Still hurts, though!**

**I'm back on the Vicodin. I need it like HELL. (I just had some, actually!) It's really bad, so I'm having to take Advil and Vicodin every four hours, just two hours apart. I have a new puppy pillow! You always get one if you're a patient there. So now I have: Cotton, Froggy, and Flower!**

**As Wendy so _kindly_ pointed out, last night around midnight when I woke up and was unable to go back to sleep and I was just texting everyone I knew, today is the one-year anniversary of _Children of the Moon_!**

**IT'S A YEAR-OLD! MY LITTLE BABY!**

**(Yeah, I'm still high on the surgery drugs...)**

**So, I decided to type (well, _Wendy's_ typing, I'm just telling her what to say, LOL) this little/long Author's Note. And, in my crazy, super-morphine (and God knows what else) induced crazy-state, I decided to present of you a _few_ awards.**

**Awards:**

**Some of my most faithful readers—chelley0207, CullenxVamp, ravenwhitlock33—love you all!**

**Longest review ever…—WARNING-may contain nuts—sorry, dude, you can say NO all you want, but Alba is "The Lost."**

**Newest reader w/ longest reviews!—Xxxdivinecomedyxxx—welcome! I'm glad you took the time to grace me with two opinions as well as get well wishes.**

**The Flower Award—luvs2act— ^^ Because you rock! And…cause my new puppy pillow from surgery is named Flower! (I love you Flow Flow!)**

**Character Award—Wendaline and Amber(your username won't show up, Ambie!)—Ladies and Gents, meet Michelle and Nicole, leopards from _Fire and Ice_, and future charries in COTM!**

**Biggest Help—littleclarestar—my wonderful Beta reader who has put up with all meh errors and clumsiness!**

**Shortest consistent reviews—LordXeenTheGreat—well, Idk if you'll see this since you don't seem to read my a/n… (But I still look forward to your one-to-two worders cause they're always consistent. Yes, I'm just playing with you. Luv ya!)  
**

**Allebasii—for giving interesting reviews every chapter and seeing through a few of my evil plans, and being my most animated fan, you get a special…gift! I will write a short story about one of the pups. Just tell me which pup, the "plot," and an age. Not sure when it'll get done, but I'll do it!**

**My #1 fan—Twilightboy—for being my "#1 fan" and probably my only boy reader (sorry to my other boy readers, if you exist).**

**And an honorable mention****—****KAZZ! I forget your username but I still love you to death, Kassie****—because you always read and put up with me and all my crazy ideas and because you are the only one keeping Scuro safe from all my evil plots.  
**

* * *

**Sorry if I didn't mention you, but guys, there are over _700_ reviews! I had no time to sort through them all and you guys who I mentioned always make an impression. But I still love every single one of you! And, to those of you who read but don't review, see what happens to those who are nice enough to let me know they exist and that they enjoy my work?**

**(And Layla just stepped right over Wendy!)**

***passes out cake and ice-cream* WOOOOOOOO! PARTEHHH!**

**PARTEH, PARTEH, PARRTEHH!**

**(Hey Wendy, can I have some ice-cream?)**

**(Sure, _Master_.)**

**(That's _Mistress _to you!)**

**(Oh, I wouldn't want to harm your little delicate****—****Nevermind.)**

**(STFU! ... Oh shit. I forgot. She's my baby-sitter. *runs* BYE, I LOVE YA'LL! Feel free to review as this is STAYING up.)**

**(NO ICE-CREAM FOR YOU!)**

**(Waah!)  
**


	39. The Fire

***********August 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

********This chapter includes a _deleted_ scene that never made it into the original version. I decided to bring it back for the edited version****

* * *

**Leah**

What could I say to him? I knew I should've said something! But even to this day, I still can't think of anything that could've helped. Sash's whole life was being eaten away by those vibrant tongues and there was nothing I could do except help Jacob and Seth hold him down while the kids worked to destroy the fiery fiend. The three of them, especially Neve, were torn between working frantically to put it out and checking to see how Sash was doing. Sash's cries rang through the air, overshadowing the crackling of the flames that were burning his house to the ground. For the first time ever, I was crying in my wolf form. Tears—from either grief or the smoke—were streaming down my face and my muscles were actually starting to ache from the effort of holding him back.

_Please let me go! I have to get them out! _Aama! Nayak! _Let me go!_

I nuzzled his snout with mine. _Sash, stop, it's too late! Even if they were inside it's too late! Can you hear their hearts? See? There's nothing. They either weren't home or…_ I stopped, unable to say it.

_Or they're dead!_ He let out a heartbroken howl. I pressed my face into his fur and ran my tail along his flank.

_Leah, Sash, the humans are coming._ Jacob said quickly.

I, too, heard the shouts of the humans coming to stop the fire before it spread to the forest around it. The rumbling of the car engines, the clanging of the bell on the fire brigade vehicle. I snarled softly. The last thing we needed was for a horde of humans to see a pack of larger-than-life wolves. They'd shoot us.

We managed to get him deep enough into the trees so the humans wouldn't see us. Rame, Neve, and Scuro abandoned their task and fell back, phasing back to their wolf forms.

Earlier that day we'd convinced Sash to spill the beans to his grandparents. We'd been on our way to his house when we smelled the smoke.

We watched from the cover of the deep forest as the humans slowly put out the fire. When it was pretty much extinguished a few people ventured inside to see if they could find any corpses. Straining our ears forward, we listened for any sounds that would mean a body had been found. We waited…and waited…then, we heard it. Shouts of alarm and a commotion, then a low noise that grew into a wail of despair; I recognized the voice. It was Pap.

"Ruth! _Ruth!_"

Sash let out a pitiful howl, rearing up to sit on his hind legs. Then he slumped to the ground, aas if all his energy had left him, whimpering softly. I crouched beside him and gently bumped his cheek with my nose. He turned his head so he could look at me.

_I don't know what to say. _I whispered. _I know 'I'm sorry' doesn't work._

He just sighed, too sad to speak.

_There's still hope! _Neve piped up, ever the optimist. _Maybe they weren't home._

_They were._ Sash said miserably. _They were waiting for us, remember?_

_Then they must've escaped. _Neve said firmly, refusing to accept it. Whether it was for her sake or his, I wasn't sure. _Think about it! _

_They wouldn't have left Nana behind_. Sash argued.

_Then where are their bodies?_ She snarled. _They haven't found anymore bodies. They got out!_

He jerked his head up, eyes widening, and I saw the unmistakable glimmer of hope in their yellowy depths.

_Spread out._ Jacob ordered in the Alpha voice I hated so much. But I agreed, for once, and hurried away.

Almost immediately, Seth caught a scent. _Vampires! _

_Familiar?_

_Not exactly. It's not Cullen and it's not Denali, but I definitely know it from somewhere._ He let the scent fill his thoughts so we could read it. I felt my hackles rise.

_Déjà vu, anyone?_

_Yeah,_ I told Jake. _I know it. Can't place it but I—_

_More! _Seth snarled. _A whole group of them were here!_

_No…_Sash moaned. _It's not—_

_The nose doesn't lie._ Seth sighed. _Sorry, dude._

By then we were all heading in Seth's direction, fanned out over several miles. We looked for something, anything, tracks, a human scent, but there was nothing except the overwhelming scent of vampires. It made no sense, though. Why would nomads make so many intertwining paths?

_They wanted to make sure we couldn't track them._ Scuro said suddenly.

_What?_

_This wasn't something random. Sash's family was targeted. They wanted to make sure we couldn't follow them and burned the house so their presence there wouldn't be detected. _

_If they really wanted to confuse us, then I'll bet they burned other houses nearby, too. _Rame added. _It would've been too obvious otherwise._

_But…if that's true…_Jacob said slowly. _Then maybe they weren't the targets. Maybe someone else—_

_Yeah, maybe someone else has a new werewolf in the family. _Sash snapped. _Get real, man. If this really wasn't just a nomad coven's little game, then they came for _me. _This could be a trap. They could have them somewhere and they're waiting for us to find them._

_No. They're not hostages._ Neve said in a tiny voice. _Look._

_What do you—oh…oh no…_ Jacob trailed off as she showed us the scene she'd stumbled upon.

Sash made a strangled cry at the same time Neve threw her saddened howl to the heavens. I swerved and made a beeline for Neve. When I got there, I found Sash human-formed, crouching beside the dead bodies of his mother, aunt, and uncle. He was crying like I'd never seen a guy cry before, and sputtering out things in his language.

We all stood back, waiting. After a moment, Sash sat down and pulled his mother's lifeless body into a hug. He shuddered with the force of his crying and that's what made me snap. I inched forward and gently brushed my head against his. He leaned into me and cried into my fur. I settled down there and let him cry.

Rame padded forward carefully and examined the bodies of Lewis and Tracy. _Jacob, they're bloodless. _

Jacob inched around us so he could get a better look. _Then there should be…yes, right t__here, on their necks. Those are vampire bites, alright. Leah, you're the fastest—_

_I'm _not_ leaving him._ I bared my teeth. _Go get them yourself._

He sighed and went to fetch them. I ordered Neve and the boys to go look for Penny. She was the only one unaccounted for. By the time he got back with the vamps, Sash had stopped crying, lowered his mother back to the ground, and was clinging to me like a lifeline. The sight of them, however, threw him into a rage. He phased and crouched over their bodies, ready to kill.

Carlisle stopped, palms turned forward. "Sash, you have to let me look at them."

Sash remained tense and I growled softly at Carlisle.

"Leah, get him to move." He said without looking away from Sash. I glanced at Jasper and ever so lightly, inclined my head at the furious werewolf beside me and widened my eyes meaningfully.

Slowly, Sash relaxed, until his entire body seemed to droop. _Sash, _I rose up and nudged him. _Let Carlisle look at them. The closer he is the easier it's going to be for him to examine them. He might be able to figure out who did this. You want to avenge them, right?_

_Yes. _He snarled softly.

_Then step away and let Carlisle figure out who did this._

Sash growled softly, but stepped away from them. We sat down together just a few feet from the corpses and let Carlisle examine them carefully. He ran his finger along the abrasions in their skin and sniffed the wounds that had ultimately been their downfall.

He sighed and shook his head. "It's them." He looked at Sash and I. "The Volturi."

_Well, then that explains why the trails were familiar._ Jacob growled.

"I'd say Jane or Alec did this." He pointed to the bite wounds on Brenda's neck. "It's smaller than a wound from an adult vampire and their scents are all over the area and the bodies."

Sash snarled and reared up, swiping at the empty air. _Then they die first!_

_Slow down, man. _Jacob warned. _You don't have a prayer against them without Bella's shield. If Bella goes then the rest of the Cullens will. We cannot win a head-on war with the Volturi, not with just us. We'd need to call in the troops and I doubt they'll come just to avenge some humans. No offense, man, but they're not important to anyone but us._

Sash made a frustrated, hissing noise.

_We can't find Penny. _Rame reported, breaking the mental silence. _And we've reached the end of the trails. Looks like they all met up here then jumped into the river. Do you want us to run along the banks and try to find where they came out?_

_Maybe they intend to use her as a bargaining chip. _Seth supplies.

_Or maybe she was a snack for the road._ Jacob muttered, mostly to himself.

Sash moved so fast that he was nothing but a blur. Snarling with rage, he flew at Jacob. They clashed, snarling, barking, biting and tearing, then they sprang away, circling slightly, before they clashed again. This time they stayed in their tussle, rolling around, tearing at each other. Then Bella leapt into it, throwing Sash away from Jacob. I snarled and charged at her, only to be tackled by Edward before I could get my teeth into her skinny arm, which got Seth into the fight as well.

Finally—just as I was about to rip Bella's arm clean off—Alice screeched so loudly that it made my ears hurt.

"STOP! You _idiots!_ Stop it!"

Ever heard Alice Cullen shriek? Sounds like nails on a chalkboard. We stopped our fight and looked at her and each other. I backed away from Bella, letting the old hatred fade away, but I kept my teeth bared in warning.

_Sorry,_ Jacob looked at Sash. _I didn't mean to…offend you._

_It's fine. _Sash sat down, shoulders hunched.

Rame, Neve, and Scuro were tense near the edge of the fight. I hadn't noticed them arrive back. I beckoned them over with my tail and the skittered past the vampires to stand by my side.

Carlisle regarded us all carefully. "Jacob, take the pack and go home."

Jacob grumbled quietly but nodded anyway. _Let's go._

_I…no! _Sash shook his head. _I can't…_

I walked to him and gently nudged him. _Come on. We need to go._

_But…_

_You can't do anything for them now. They're safe with Nana and your father…and my father._

_And my mom,_ Jacob added helpfully.

Sash said nothing, his eyes fixed on his mother, uncle, and aunt. Slowly he walked over and dipped his head, nuzzling their faces one last time. Then he bolted away and I raced after him.

_How did you do it, Leah? How did you handle all the grief?_ He whispered.

_She took it out on us._ Seth grumbled. _You, however, do not have permission to do that._

I couldn't help but laugh and Jake and Seth did, too. Sash chuckled a bit, despite himself, then sighed.

No one got any sleep that night and only the kids were able to sleep the next day. The Cullens came back in groups. When Rose, Emmett, and Alice returned, Alice was holding Twitch the tabby. Sash was so relieved to see his old cat that he started to cry again. The cat must've bailed when he smelled the vampires coming. I was surprised he hadn't had a heart attack during the trip back. He decided that being around the werewolf was better than being around the vampire because he leapt gratefully into his owner's arms when he got close enough.

Eventually, Neve came and collected the cat and took him off to get some food and a bath because, frankly, the cat was a mess. We could hear him complaining.

Sash and I curled up on the couch in the living room and waited.

Carlisle and Esme were the last to return, towing a frantic Pap Dawson behind them.

"_Alexander!_" Pap cried when he spotted his grandson lying on the couch with me. I climbed over the back of the couch and Sash sat up to make room for his Pap who sat down and slung an arm around him. "You're alive." He whispered as a tear rolled down his cheek.

Sash nodded. The Cullens, save Carlisle, quickly cleared the room for them. I, too, retreated to the hallway just outside the living room. Seth came up behind me and frowned sadly.

"How did you survive?" Sash asked him.

"I ran to town to get something from the store." He said. "How did _you_ survive?"

"The house was already on fire when we got there." Sash said miserably. "I'm sorry about Nana."

Pap closed his eyes and hugged his grandson tighter. "What…was it…that you had to tell us?" he asked.

Sash shifted away from Pap and let his arms dropped away. "I…I…I'm…I mean I got…" he turned to throw me a helpless look over his shoulder.

"Pap," I stepped back into the room. "The other day, Luna, one of the werewolf children you met, went…rogue. She'd been harboring a grudge against Sash for some time, partially blaming him for her sister, Alba's, death. He doesn't remember all of it, but he managed to call me on his phone and I was able to hear them talking. When we arrived she tried to kill him by tearing his throat out. However, we were able to save him and Luna was…dealt with."

"But her venom got in me." Sash added quietly.

Pap gasped and looked at Sash's throat. Thanks to the accelerated healing werewolves had, the wound was pretty much gone. Only two silvery-white rows of teeth marks around the place that had been destroyed proved he'd been hurt. Pap put his hand on Sash's forehead and stared.

"Alexander…" he whispered. "You mean you can…you're a—"

"A werewolf, Pap. I'm a werewolf. And my name isn't Alexander anymore. I'm just Sash Hunter."

"Alex—" Pap sighed. "Ok, _Sash, _then. You and Penny are considered missing. There's even the theory that you two _started _the fire and are now running from the law. What are you going to do now?"

Sash took a deep breath, closing his eyes, then let it out slowly. "I'm going to college this fall. I'm moving to California with my girlfriend, her brother, and three of the only werewolves I know."

"The police will come looking for you, Sash." Pap warned. "It's a small town—everyone knows you're dating Leah. They'll come here."

"I know." He said. "I'm not going to hide. Carlisle can tell them I was sick and that's why I look different. I'll go to the funerals, say goodbye to my friends, then leave. I just wish…" he trailed off. "That you could come, too…"

Pap shook his head. "No, son. I respect your decisions, but my place isn't in California. I don't know what I'll do, but I do not want to go there. It's too hot."

"You…could go to La Push." Jacob was standing near the hallway to the kitchen. "My dad lives there. He's in a wheelchair so he needs help with certain things; if you could do that, I'm sure you could stay there. He loves to watch sports and Bella's dad is always over there. You wouldn't be alone there and you'd be a lot closer to Sash, then. Plus, it's not so hot down there. And our brother pack down there; they can protect you."

Pap pursed his lips. "That is a generous offer…. Perhaps I shall talk to your father, then."

Jacob smiled a bit a nodded. "You're welcome."

Carlisle cleared his throat. "If everyone would kindly join us in here, I'll read you a note I found clutched in Sash's mother's hand."

"A note?" I asked.

Jacob went to get the kids and all the Cullens breezed into the room. When Jake got back with the three sleepy werewolves, Carlisle drew from his pocket a folded up, wrinkled piece of paper. Dash came in and hopped up onto the couch and bumped his nose into Sash's arm. I quickly rubbed the cat's ears then leaned forward as Carlisle unfolded the paper and placed it on the table Jasper had been so kind as to push in front of him.

"It's Italian." I said quietly, recognizing some of the words from my botched class. "_Tutti i Bambini della Luna devono essere sterminati_…"

"English, please." Jacob said.

Carlisle read it all aloud. "_By order of the Volturi, all Children of the Moon are to be exterminated. Anyone found sheltering a werewolf, with knowledge of the whereabouts of any werewolf who do not report it, or knowingly associating and/or aiding a werewolf in anyway shall be killed._" He paused, letting it sink in. "…It's signed by Aro, Caius, and Marcus."

"They know." Rosalie murmured. "They're warning us to abandon the werewolves."

"No, they're warning us to kill them." Jasper said harsly.

Neve shook her head. "I don't want to die!" she looked at Jasper. "Please don't…"

Scuro hugged his sister. "They're not gonna kill us."

"No they're not." I agreed. "But the Volturi might."

"Let em try." Emmett flexed his muscles. "We can handle a few measly members of the guard."

"No, we will bring the entire Volturi down on us if we kill some of their guard." Esme argued. "That is a fight we cannot win."

"If we're going to get you guys killed, too, then we should run." Sash said. "They'll come here and look."

Carlisle looked at me. "He's right; all of you need to go now. There's too much at stake. The Volturi could be lurking around. Start packing! Only what you need. We need to make it appear you left before we got back. Jacob, you might consider going, too." Carlisle gave him a serious look.

Jacob glanced at Renesmee. "I…can't…I just…"

"You have to, go Jake!" Renesmee hugged him, not understanding why he'd looked at her. "I'm sure gonna miss you, but you gotta go, too."

"Maybe she should come, too." Seth glanced at Bella and Edward.

"No." Edward said and I could tell from his tone that that was the end of the conversation.

"Then I can't." Jacob said firmly, stubbornly.

"Why?" Nessie asked.

"I'll tell you one day, when you're older." Jacob promised. Nessie pouted.

I sighed. "Well you guys heard him. Hurry and get your stuff together. Someone get us some suitcases!"

"On it, come on, Jazz." Emmett hurried upstairs with Jasper right behind him.

I took the stairs two at a time and hurried into my room, shouting as I went. "Get summer clothes and underwear especially. If you don't need something else or really want it then don't take it. We can buy new stuff when we get there!"

"Mama!" Neve's voice brought me up short. "What about Luna and Alba's things?"

I froze. _Shit. I forgot about that._

"We'll leave them all alone." Esme promised from the top of the stairs. "And if we move, we'll pack them and send them to you."

"Still take some stuff with us." I muttered to Neve. "Anything you want of theirs, bring it, too."

Neve nodded and hurried into her room.

In my room, I pulled two tank tops, two t-shirts, a hoodie, two pairs of shorts shorts, a pair of sweats, and two pairs of jeans out of my drawers. Emmett placed a large suitcase on my bed and after he left Rosalie came in and helped me get them all into the suitcase. "I'll get the rest." I said. "Go see if our van's working fine."

Rosalie nodded and went to do that while I loaded in my undergarments. Then I folded up the quilt Sash gave me and stowed it in my bag, along with my iPod and several books.

Jacob, Jasper, and Emmett, were carrying all the suitcases out to our car, Esme, Sash, and Bella were in the kitchen getting us food for the road, Alice was gathering us some cash and all the financial documents we would need. Edward took Pap back to Chelon so he could settle things there; keep the cops off our trail.

"What will you do?" I asked Carlisle when he came into the kitchen where I was removing the wooden paw Esme had given us from the door, as well as the dream catcher from Sash.

"We…will stay here for a bit, give the Volturi time to sniff around, then we'll move, most likely." Carlisle said. "Probably to somewhere in Canada, but we're keeping possession of this house. We'll try to remove your scent from this house once you guys leave…and hopefully the surrounding areas, too."

I nodded. "Thank you."

An hour later we were loaded into the car. The kids sat in the back with Seth and Dash and Twitch were in two pet carries Alice had run to town to purchase. I was in the driver's seat, leaning out the window to talk to Jacob. He was just reminding me that he'd check in every so often and that I was "Alpha female" until he could convince Edward and Bella to let Renesmee come with him to where they were staying.

"Jake, you ass." I scowled. "I am not your Alpha female."

He scowled, too. "You know what I mean, dammit!"

Jasper told me about a special contact they had in Seattle who could provide us with papers that we may need. Birth certificates, licenses, passports…anything, for a reasonable price, of course. He recommended we make a stop there on our way, and handed me a list of what we should get, just in case we needed to make a quick getaway. He also told me to mention that we were good friends of the Cullens and that they were only a phone call away. Bella said I should mention I was her step-sister and stressed that I should be _nice _to Jason Scott/Jenks.

"What about Pap?" I asked Carlisle.

"Oh, we'll get him to La Push. Don't worry." He leaned around me and looked at Sash who sat in the passenger seat. "I promise."

Sash nodded. "I'll hold you to that."

I couldn't help it. I looked in my rearview mirror, as I drove us down the drive, at the Cullen Coven and Jacob. It felt…_wrong_ to leave Jake behind, but I knew he wouldn't be able to function so far from Renesmee. Neve started to cry and shouted that she'd miss them out the window. I felt bad for yanking them away from the vamps so suddenly. They might've been, well, vampires, but they were another part of the kid's lives from birth that was being removed. They were probably going to need therapy soon.

"We'll invite them to visit soon." I promised somewhat reluctantly. "Once we all settle down again."

Neve sniffed.

Sash sighed and I noticed he, too, looked very sad. "I just wish I could've stayed for the funeral."

"I think your family will understand." I told him. "I didn't get to go to my dad's, either."

* * *

Sash parked the Carrier in the parking lot and turned his head, looking at me expectantly. I was staring at the sign that read 'JASON SCOTT, ATTORNEY AT LAW.' Noticing Sash, I bit back a sigh.

I was, as Jake said, the Alpha now, if only by name. I couldn't command anyone, but for all intensive purposes, I was in charge of the pack. Which meant I couldn't expect anyone to take care of shit for me; I had to do it myself. I sighed and picked up the small purse I had with pictures of everyone, money, and all the other information I'd need to get the stuff.

"Seth, you're in charge until I get back." I said.

"Yes," Seth whispered, shaking his fist, at the same time Sash complained, "Hey!"

I kissed him on the cheek the hopped out of the van, shutting the door behind me.

It was hard to believe the Cullen's favorite document forger was a public servant, but looks can be deceiving. An opinion further supported by the almost bland beige, green accented interior design of the small lobby. He hid just as well as we did. There was a fish tank against the wall and as the receptionist was currently away from the desk, I knelt down to examine the aquatic life.

The fish seemed mildly curious of me when I put my face close to the glass. They swam close, their mouths opening in closing, and just watched me with their never-blinking eyes. Then, when carefully extended my finger towards the glass, they scattered like bats out of hell. I chuckled to myself then straightened up as the sound of footsteps came from down the hall.

A brunette woman blinked in surprise when she saw me then fell into the polite routine, apologizing for my wait and asking if I had an appointment.

"No," I said. "But I need to see Mr. Scott."

The woman frowned and sat down in her chair. "Mr. Scott is usually appointment only. Are you a client?"

"Not exactly," I said.

"I'm afraid…I don't understand."

"I'm sort of here on behalf of a client of his." I winced, realizing how stupid I sounded. "I'm not explaining myself well, am I? Sorry, I've not had any sleep for about two days now. Things have been really rough."

The receptionist gave me a sympathetic smile. "Well, what's your name?"

"Leah Cullen."

She nodded, "One moment." She picked up her phone and pressed several buttons and I leaned against the wall, waiting.

"Mr. Scott? There is a young woman out here who wishes to see you. She says she is here on behalf of a client of yours…no…tall, she looks Native American…Leah Cullen." The receptionist's expression changed instantly and her eyes flashed to me with a worried expression. "Yes, she said Cullen…Yes sir." She hung up and stood.

"Right this way, Miss Cullen." She said. I smiled and followed her down the hall. She opened the door for me and closed it behind her.

I faced the man behind the desk. He looked older, nearly sixty was my guess, nearly bald, with a potbelly, and he'd probably barely come up to my shoulder if we were standing side-to-side. He looked apprehensive.

I smiled. "Hello."

Jason Scott/Jenks swallowed and stood to shake my hand. "Welcome. This is unexpected and, um…if you don't mind me asking, who are you? I have seen all of the Cullen names many times and yours is not among them."

"That's because I'm not a Cullen. My name is Leah Clearwater." I said.

The lawyer took a step away and suddenly looked alarmed. "Why did you tell Tiffany that your name was Cullen, then?"

"Bella Cullen, you remember her?"

"Yes, of course." Was that a smile pulling at his lips?

"She's my step-sister. And this—" I reached into the purse and pulled out the ID he'd made for Jacob years ago "—this is my cousin. You made this. It's very well done."

Jason Scott narrowed his eyes, leaning forward to inspect the ID.

"If it would make you comfortable, I can always call Bella and she can tell you I'm not lying. Or Jasper."

At the mention of Jasper, the man flinched away as if I'd stung him. "No, no, that's quite alright. I believe you." He sat back down and took a deep breath, giving me a seemingly forced smile. "What can I do for you today?"

"You don't need to be afraid of me," I said. "I'm different than the Cullens, really. Total opposite end of the spectrum."

His smile seemed a bit more genuine then. "That is…good to know. What can I do for you?"

"We need…um…hang on." My head had started to throb. As soon as I got into the Carrier, I was going to crash. "Sorry, I've not gotten much sleep lately. I can hardly think straight and my head is killing me."

"Might I be correct in assuming you would like the usual?" Jason asked. "Drivers licenses, passports, birth certificates, social security cards, and the like."

"Yes!" I said, giving him a relieved smile. "I have a list in here of everything." I dug around in the purse and produced a piece of paper. Reading from it: "Six passports, one driver's licenses, and six IDs."

Jason nodded slowly, scribbling all that down on a sheet of paper. "The names?"

"Seth Clearwater is for the license. The IDs are for Minerva White, Scout White, Ramsey White, Leah Wolfe, Seth Wolfe, and Sash Alexander. The passports should be under those same names.

"Middle names?"

I shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

"Ages?"

"Neve, Scuro, and Rame are…eighteen." They'd look that way soon enough, and it gave us plenty of leeway. "Sash should be twenty-one, Seth should be twenty, and twenty-two for mine."

He wrote that down. "Do you have pictures or would you prefer to do that yourself?"

I produced the shots of everyone that Alice had taken just a few days ago. He scanned through them, looking at the carefully written names on the backs, then held up one. "You did not mention this one. Do you want the same for her?"

Luna. I reached forward hastily and took the picture. "No. She's no longer with us." I said. "I forgot to take her picture out."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

I looked down at her beautiful face and felt my throat tighten. _Oh Luna. Were you planning to kill him when this was taken?_

Jason Scott cleared his throat. "Do you have a specific deadline?"

"Two weeks." I said, stowing her picture away. "No later, but sooner would be much appreciated."

He nodded again. "Would I also be correct in assuming that cost is no issue?"

I smiled.

Jason wrote down the price and I nodded, pulling out the roll of hundreds Alice had given me. "How much of that do I owe you up front?"

"Half."

I nodded and counted out the correct sum. "There you go."

"Thank you. I do believe I can have these to you not this Friday but the next."

I nodded. I would have to make a trip back. "Where?"

"How about Canlis Restaurant at eight o'clock? Do you know where that is?"

"No."

"It's on Aurora Avenue. It is a fine establishment and, of course, I prefer to complete transactions away from my businesses."

I nodded again. "Is it formal?"

"Yes."

"Hmm." I pursed my lips. It would be so much easier to run up here as a wolf. I thought for a moment. Perhaps I could run to La Push, change there, then drive in mom's car. She probably had something I could wear, too. "Alright, that will work. Thank you, Mr. Scott."

I rose and he did, too, shaking my hand again. "You're welcome. I shall see you Friday, Mrs. Clearwater."


	40. The Beach

***********August 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Neve**

_One Year Later_

"JACOB BLACK! SETH CLEARWATER! YOU GET YOUR LAZY, TRUANT ASSES OUT OF BED THIS MINUTE OR I'M COMING UP THERE!"

I groaned and burrowed under my pillow, trying to drown out Mama/Leah's screeching. I silently begged my uncles to just man up and go to school. I wished I could go with them, but I couldn't. Around the time we'd moved here, we'd stopped aging so quickly. It was almost as if we were aging normally. We weren't sure if we'd all stopped developing completely. I missed my smaller body; the body without breasts that required a bra, the one that could crawl under a bed to hide; the body that came with an innocent face that could melt the heart of the most stone-hearted crook.

Leah was in such a bad mood lately that I didn't even want to risk asking to attend school. I heard Leah's loud footsteps on the stairs and thanked God that she wasn't after me. Judging by the nearness of the bang, I figured it was Seth's door she'd kicked open.

"I AM FUCKING SICK OF YOU TWO ALWAYS SKIPPING SCHOOL!"

There was a quiet, half-groaned response from her little brother, then her screeching resumed. I sighed and emerged from under my pillow. The cloth over cotton had done next to nothing to muffle her voice.

"—AND THE FACT YOU TWO ARE NEVER ON TIME OR ARE ALWAYS ABSENT DOES NOTHING TO HELP OUR SITUATION!"

"God damn, Leah, shut up! I'm getting up!" Seth hollered back. "Chill out before you phase!"

"GOOD."

I couldn't help but smile. This was the norm now.

I figured I wouldn't be getting back to sleep any time soon so I kicked the covers down and clambered out of bed. I turned to face my window and, more specifically, the pots there. I raised my palms and pointed them at the painted pottery I planted flower seeds in nightly.

_Please?_ I thought.

I knew what I wanted. All I needed was permission. I got it and the tips of the flowers poked through the soil, then more and more emerged. Weeks of growth and development was compressed into mere seconds. The last touch was the blossom itself. The delicate petals pushed through and then opened, revealing pink primroses.

I smiled and lowered my hands, then went to open the window.

I made a new flower grow every morning—it was sort of my way to remind myself I was a werewolf and not the human I pretended to be—but I had to keep the blinds closed until they bloomed just in case anyone on the streets happened to look up at the building that was once a firehouse, and selected my window as the place to stare at. I didn't bother to tell Leah that if someone saw a flower blooming at impossible speeds their minds wouldn't jump to _werewolf._ If they actually believed their eyes then it would be more likely something like fairy, pixie, sprite, or dryad.

It was mid-September. The days were becoming shorter. School had begun again. Jacob and Seth went to high school, Sash and Leah went to college, and me and brothers stayed home learning off the website which Alice built and maintained daily with Renesmee tutoring us if we needed it.

According to Jacob, the Cullens were visited by Alistair, and old friend of Carlisle's, in late May with news from Europe. An acquaintance of his had been visiting the Volturi and overheard a conversation regarding werewolves in America and the Cullens. Alistair had been told so he could relay the message.

Jacob decided he should get away from the Cullens, as his presence would make the Volturi even more nervous should they come knocking, and decided to join with us in San Francisco. The prospect of leaving Renesmee behind had almost killed him, but the stubborn girl would hear nothing of it. Having become aware of their imprint, she refused point blank to let him leave without her. Bella had been accepting, but Edward had banned her from leaving. She then threw a fit that would've been something to see and finally Edward gave in.

So our "happy family" was complete. Leah—who had told us not to call her Mama anymore because it would look suspicious—plus Jacob, Sash, Seth, me, Scuro, Rame, and Renesmee with the hierarchy in about that order.

I pulled up my shorts and went across the hall to the bathroom. I planned to go to the beach today, even if I had to sneak out through my window. I looked at myself in the mirror and my emerald eyes stared back. Recently our eyes had reverted back to their original color, only turning yellow when we got mad or shifted (Sash's didn't do that) so we had to make sure we didn't lose our cool around any humans. And my teeth, ugh! I had to be careful to not smile with my teeth showing or I'd reveal my pointed canines.

I felt fur brush my leg and I looked down to see Dash's eyes staring up at me. He was fully grown, but still as playful, and he still preferred me over anyone in the house. Normally he was on my bed when I woke up, but Leah's shrieking must've frightened him off.

"JACOB, MOVE IT!"

Leah actually seemed more on edge today, which was odd since her favorite classes, painting and photography, were today. My eyes flicked up to the calendar on the wall and I smiled. Yes, of course. Tonight was the full moon. At sundown, if I was still in human form, I would begin to feel my strength leaving me and by eleven o'clock I would be in a seizure-like fit. By midnight, if I didn't transform, I would surely be dead. And, not only was I going to the beach today, but I wasn't going to transform in this apartment, upstairs so no one could see me through the window, and bask in the light filtered through the window. Nope. This time, I was heading out of the city and running through the forest. Even if I had to go down to Half Moon Bay and splash through the water so they couldn't follow my trail.

"You're thinking thoughts that I want in on." Renesmee walked into the bathroom and knelt down to pat Dash who purred in response.

I smiled. "You sure?"

"Hell yeah! You looked…rebellious for a moment."

I glanced around then leaned in to whisper, "I'm heading to the beach and going for a run tonight. You in?"

Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glow. She and I were alike in so many ways. I was nearing four and she was six now, children with women's bodies. "Totally."

I plucked my toothbrush out from the container and she picked up my brush and got rid of the tangles for me. I'd finally cut my hair last winter when it hung past my butt. Now it was once again to my waist. I sighed and handed her the scissors. She raised her eyebrows in surprise but shrugged and asked how much. I pointed to a spot just above the middle of my back.

Nessie was quite skilled with this kind of stuff, thanks to Alice's teaching. I heard the scissors snipping away at my hair and felt it get a tad lighter. At my feet, Dash was batting at the falling hair. "What do you think?" she put the scissors down and lifted the mirror off the wall, holding it behind me so I could see. I examined my hair for a minute then nodded.

Renesmee put the mirror back and then helped me pick the hair off the floor. I liked having her around. She was like a sister to me. Almost like a fill-in for the two I'd lost. My brothers were cool, but now that I was older, I liked female companionship a bit more. And Leah, though I loved her like she was my mother, wasn't exactly someone I could hang out with. When she wasn't stressing, at college, sleeping, or working on homework, she was with Sash. Most of the time he was with her during said activities.

Jacob poked his head into the bathroom. "Hey, girls."

I waved and Nessie said, "Hey Jakie."

"Please, anything but that nickname!" he clutched at his chest as if it had physically wounded him.

"Oh you poor, poor thing." I patted his head.

"You'd better scat, Jake." Nessie said. "Leah's on a warpath this morning."

"No kidding." He grumbled. He raised a foot to enter the bathroom and my hand shot out, blocking his way.

"Ah, ah, ah." I shook my head. "What is rule of this room?"

He sighed. "No male may enter without express permission by all occupants."

"Exactly."

"You're killing me here, Neve!"

Renesmee giggled and ducked under my arm, hugging him. "Good luck, Jake. Remember, if any girl gives you _that look_, immediately engage Seth in a conversation about me so they can hear."

He laughed, then made a big show of looking around before gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Just don't tell your dad I did that and I'll talk to my locker if I have to."

Renesmee giggled. "Deal."

I made a gagging noise and earned a playful slap from her.

"Jacob, man, you better go." Scuro appeared behind Jacob. "Leah's really pissed at you."

Jacob nodded and pulled away from Nessie. My brother waited until Jacob was gone then motioned to someone I couldn't see. My other brother, Rame, appeared outside the door, grinning.

"So," he whispered. "What's this we heard about a…beach trip?"

I scowled. "If you snitch I'll hamstring you guys."

"I'll help." Nessie added.

"Relax, sis." Scuro held up his hands. "We just wanted to know if we could help with the grand escape."

I felt myself smiling. "Alright, but what's in it for you?"

"The rest of your Oreos."

"And perhaps a shell I have yet to collect?" Rame added hopefully.

I glanced at Renesmee and she nodded. "Alright, deal."

"Ok," Scuro glanced at his watch. "You have thirty minutes." He leaned down and picked Dash up. "Come on, boy, you're helping."

I _could've_ asked Leah for permission, but she probably would've ordered us to stay in the house and do our work or something like that. She doesn't like us wondering off on our own. A jail break was the only way.

"You get the towels, sunscreen, and money." I told Renesmee. "Which swimsuit do you want?"

"That brown one Daddy bought me."

I smirked. "Yeah, probably a good idea."

I collected the swimsuit from her bedroom—it was brown to match her eyes and revealed virtually nothing, much to Jacob's amusement—then retrieved the blue two-piece from mine. It was a gift from Alice on my birthday. It covered most of my stomach, which is probably why Leah allowed me to keep it (she threw hers in the trash). I grabbed two bags from my closet and shoved them in there. In the bathroom we quickly shoved our stuff in then stashed them just under Nessie's window.

We put our swimsuits on under our clothes then went down to get some breakfast. "OK, so, where will you be exiting?" Rame muttered to me as I pulled a powdered doughnut out of the box.

"Nessie's window." I hissed back.

"Gotchya." His hand shot out and he snagged a doughnut then slunk out of the room.

I tossed Renesmee a doughnut that was quickly consumed as Leah came in.

"Oh shit." She said when she saw us. I popped a mini-doughnut into my mouth. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to wake you up. Just the boys."

"You probably woke the whole city up, Lee." Nessie said matter-of-factly.

Leah rolled her eyes. Suddenly, from the other side of the building, there was a loud, catlike screech.

"Twitch!" Sash's footsteps echoed through the house as he ran down the hall. Dash's yowl filled the air, followed by another screech from Twitch. Leah snarled and took off towards the commotion.

"Bring the doughnuts!" Nessie hissed to me then sprinted away.

I ran after her, taking the stairs two at a time. The diversion was located away from any windows that would see us as we made our grand escape. I stuffed the box of doughnuts into my bag as she positioned herself at the window. Looking around thoroughly to make sure no one would see, she jumped from the window. I tossed the bags down before diving after her and landing lightly on the ground.

Inside the house, I could still hear the yowling of the tabby cat and wildcat. Renesmee tugged on my arm and we hurried across the back yard, jumping the fence, then raced down the alley way.

* * *

**Scuro**

Leah tapped her foot and glared down at us. Sash was patting his old tabby cat, giving us angry looks, while Dash sat nearby, happily munching on the large mouse that had "accidentally" gotten inside. Twitch was scared shitless of mice, wouldn't you know it?

"So, which one of you is going to explain how a mouse got inside this house now when they haven't once in the time we've been here?"

Well, it wasn't me. Rame got the rodent. I just positioned the cats.

"Alright, alright, I admit it!" Rame hung his head. "We let it in."

"Why?" Leah asked.

Rame glanced out the window. "We created a diversion so the girls could sneak out."

"Where…were they going?" I knew that tone. She was trying to stay calm.

"The beach."

"Which beach?"

Rame glanced at me and grinned. "No idea."

"Rame."

"No, really. No idea. It was just 'the beach.' No specifications whatsoever…"

Leah growled dangerously and clenched her fists. She started to vibrate but then her form stilled and she let out a breath I didn't know she'd been holding. "I don't have time for this. I have class in an hour. If they come back before I'm home, you tell them they're both grounded. And make sure Renesmee understands that she's included in the punishment and Jacob is not allowed to pay bail."

"Gotchya."

"And as for you two…"

_Oh man. Here it comes. Rame, my brother, it was nice knowing you._

"You're both on dishes and mopping duty for a week—no buts! The entire building. The dishes haven't been done for a few days so you'd better get to work on those then get your schoolwork done before I get home. You have until tomorrow evening to get the mopping done."

"You don't have to be so harsh." Rame snapped.

Leah glared. "If an officer spots them they could get in trouble for truancy, they skipped out on schooling today, and you helped them. If there are any vampires in the city today they could run across them. There's a reason I don't like you guys going out alone. So you better get cracking."

Rame scowled but kept quiet. I nodded and followed him into the kitchen.

* * *

**Neve**

Renesmee jogged backwards, grinning. "I don't think we were followed."

I giggled. "Sweet! We're home free!"

She turned around and held her hand up. I gave her a high-five then withdrew the doughnuts from my bag. She took a bite out of one and chewed it thoughtfully. "Which beach are we going to?"

I shrugged. "Do you know any good ones?"

She stared at me. "You mean to tell me that you didn't plan where to go?"

"Nope," I said, popping the 'p'.

My friend's slightly-glimmering face was incredulous. "I can't believe you."

I just smiled.

She sighed. "There's always Baker Beach."

"Is it any good?"

"Well, as long as we avoid the nude end."

We both giggled childishly and she plucked another doughnut out.

"That'll work. Where is it?"

"It's that beach by the Golden Gate Bridge."

"Oh! Well, it's a good thing we don't get tired easily. That's clear across town."

"Do you have any better ideas?"

"No…"

"Alright, let's go, then!"

I removed the last doughnut and tossed the box into a nearby waste bin then we headed towards the bridge. We caught a trolley—I'd been so excited when we first got to the city and I saw one going by the car that I'd convinced Leah to let me ride one first thing—and rode it through the city.

"Hey, Ness?" I asked as we were leaning out the window.

"Hmm?" she turned her face towards me.

"Do you think…I should…maybe ask Leah if I can start school?"

She raised one eyebrow and I noticed an older woman giving me a funny look.

"I'm sick of being stuck at home all day." I sighed. "Homeschooling was cool when I had all the Cullens teaching me, but now it's just the website and you. You're like my sister. I don't like you being my tutor. I want to be around, you know, _normal_ kids for a change."

"You are normal," she said, not realizing the human was listening in. "I'm the one that's half—"

"Excuse me, ma'am." I cut Nessie off before she could seriously screw us over and glared lightly at the human woman behind her. Nessie jerked around sharply and I heard her quick intake of breath.

The human woman was probably in her sixties, her brown hair turning gray, and the wrinkles of age beginning to really become noticeable. Her electric blue eyes were penetrating. I resisted the animalistic urge to growl at her Alpha-female attitude.

"Is there something we can help you with?" I went on coolly.

"No." she said, watching me carefully. I wondered if my eyes were yellow.

"Are you sure? You seemed so intent on us." I raised my voice just a bit, attracting the attention of some other passengers.

"Yes, I'm sure." She said evenly and turned away pointedly. The other humans went on about their business, uninterested, save one younger man.

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

"We're homeschooled." I said, making sure to keep my lips together when I smiled.

He chuckled once and left us alone. We looked out the window again and I let out a sigh of relief. Nessie giggled. "That was close."

"No kidding. But, seriously, do you think I should ask her?"

Nessie tilted her head back and forth. "Ah, maybe when she's in a better mood. Maybe tomorrow morning. She has no classes until 3:30."

"Good idea."

We got off on Van Ness Street and continued on foot. We stopped inside a bakery and purchased two Frisbee-sized cinnamon rolls—the doughnuts had done little to state our appetites and it wasn't like we needed to worry about counting calories—and sat at a table by the window, laughing so loud about trivial things that people stared at us. When the stares became unnerving I would lock eyes with the human and stare them down until they looked away. The way they instinctively backed down like a weaker pack member was very amusing. We ended up ordering some hot chocolate and drank it slowly as we walked through San Francisco. This place was nothing like the places Nessie and I had grown up and while my wolf side longed for the openness of the wild and the shelter of the trees my human side loved the city.

The smell of thousands of automobiles and the bums in the alleyways, however, was something I could defiantly live without.

"I can smell salt water." Nessie said excitedly. I could, too, of course; my senses were ten times more potent than hers. I didn't want to remind her about her human…erm…handicap. No, I would never call it that while she was in earshot.

When I finally saw the water, two and a half hours after we'd left the house, I actually let out a "whoop!" and sprinted down the beach—at a human speed, of course.

We found a nice sandy spot, making sure we were far from the area where clothing was optional, and set our stuff down. I quickly pulled off my shirt and shorts and sprinted for the water. The force of the waves barely affected my stride as I waded out, knee-deep, waist deep, then chest-deep, and even when I was barely able to touch the bottom.

Nessie's head popped out of the water nearby. "Hey! I held my breath all the way here and I still didn't feel like I needed air!"

"That's the vampire in you, Nessie." I told her. "Want me to time you?"

"Yeah!" her head ducked under the water and she appeared a foot away from me. "Ready!"

"Ok, three…two…one…go!"

She took a big breath and let her head slip below the surface. She stayed in place, treading water just a few inches from the surface. I waited patiently for her to run out of oxygen.

_898…899…900…901…902_

She burst through the skin and took a big breath of hair. I waited for her to get plenty of oxygen in her lungs again before grinning broadly.

"Nine-hundred and two seconds." I informed her.

Her eyes widened. "That's…fifteen minutes!"

"Woo!" I raised my hand she gave me a high-five. "You just set the record for all half-vampires in breath-holding."

"Yeah. I'd better let all four of the others know right away so we can make note of it." She rolled her eyes then they locked onto something behind me. "Look."

She raised one hand out of the water and pointed. I turned, following her finger, and spotted a human male rummaging through our bags.

"What the f—"

My curse word was cut off by the sound of the water sloshing up as Renesmee launched forward. I followed after, kicking my legs furiously, and resisting the urge to transform and scare the hell out of the guy. At least it'd teach him not to mess with people's stuff.

"Hey!" Renesmee screeched, her voice momentarily reaching octaves I only thought Alice Cullen could reach. "Get away from that!"

The human boy looked up in shock and looked around until he spotted us racing towards him. He scrambled up within something of ours clutched in his hand and tried to flee. I passed Renesmee before we reached shore so it was I who tackled him as his clumsy human feet tried to sprint through sand. I heard the wind rush out his lungs as the force of my body slammed him into the ground.

I growled deep in my throat and bared my teeth. I was almost to his throat before I realized what I was doing and jumped away from him. I landed in a crouch a few feet away. The boy scrambled up and I flung myself at him, tackling him again. This time, however, he landed on his back which provided me a perfect chance to deck him a good one. I heard the bone snap when my fist collided with his nose.

He howled with pain and blood began to trickle out. Behind me, I heard Renesmee gasp softly and back away from the fresh blood. Only when I was sure she was far enough away did I fist my hand in the collar of the boy's shirt and yank him up a bit.

"Give. It. Back." I said firmly.

He was clutching his nose with one hand. "Jeez, you bitch! You broke my nose!"

"Want me to break your face?" I hissed. "Give it back!"

Giving me the evil eye the entire time, he handed me the item he'd taken. I released him in my shock and he fell back. It was my wallet. All of my money, my fake IDs, and several pictures of my family in both forms, were inside that. If Renesmee hadn't spotted him…

I tucked it inside the chest of my swimsuit—a trick I picked up from a girl at a bookstore once—then I glared dangerously at him.

"If you _ever _steal from me again I won't go so easy! Is that understood?"

He stared up, fear filling his eyes for the first time, as he noticed my eyes, which were surely yellow, and the points of my teeth.

He nodded quickly.

"Well, it seems you handled things well." I turned my head and saw a young man, probably around the age I looked, standing with a smug Renesmee.

"This is Officer Dan." Renesmee told me. "He heard the screaming from further up the beach and came to see if we were alright."

I looked between the boy and the man. The similarities were strikingly similar. They both had deep, chocolate hair, bright blue eyes and cinnamon skin. "Are you two related?"

Officer Dan nodded. "He's my son. I'm sorry about this, girls. Den was recently diagnosed with kleptomania so I try to keep an eye on him when we go in public places, but he wondered off when I ran to the car to get something."

"Oh. Well…then maybe I shouldn't have punched so hard."

The man fixed his son with an angry glare as he spoke to me. "You didn't know, you were just trying to reclaim your property. What with the hooligans today you can never be too careful. Don't worry, I won't press charges if you won't." he cracked a smile.

I smiled and lightly hopped off Den. "Deal."

"By the way, girls." Officer Dan turned around as they were leaving. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"We're homeschooled," I said. "We got the day off."

He arched one eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yes sir." Renesmee said with an air of sincerity.

He nodded. "Alright. But I'd better not see you two down at the station for truancy."

"You won't!"

We headed back out into the water, stealing the occasional glance at our stuff as we swam. Some time when the sun had passed his peak, we tromped out of the water and flopped down on our towels.

"So, time for lunch?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure. I'll go catch something. What are you hungry for? I'm sure if I looked I could get us a nice shark."

"Ha ha. You're hilarious. There's a hotdog stand up there." She pointed to someplace further down the beach that I didn't bother to look at.

"Renesmee, I'm not going to risk glimpsing someone's birthday suit just to get a hotdog."

"…Ok, one: the hotdog stand is in the opposite direction. Two: You of all people shouldn't be so touchy about it. It's not like you phase back fully clothed, ya know."

"But everyone I phase around is family or practically family."

She sighed. "Forget it. Let's go get the food."

* * *

**Third POV**

Dantmo Murchadh sat in the sand not too far from the two young girls. A concealing spell kept them from noticing him. Every time one of them glanced his way all they would see was a large rock or something else that was perfectly natural on the beach. To be honest, he wasn't quite sure exactly what they saw, but whatever it was it hadn't earned their full attention and that was exactly what he wanted.

He knew _exactly_ what the fair haired child was, just as he knew she was a child. Despite her outward appearance, he _knew_ that she was a youngling. Obviously she was over two years because her eyes had flickered yellow and she pointed teeth, but she couldn't have breached five years yet. But that made him even happier. A young _Neno da Lúa_ was a rare sight and a blessing. Perhaps she was one reason vampire-related deaths in the city had decreased recently. He and his clan's mere presence (and their charms) had been enough to keep covens from claiming the territory, but nomads still came through every other week. Recently, however, the number of vampires lingering in the city long enough to feed had lowered drastically.

_It's possible,_ Dantmo thought.

Yes, the werechild was easy to identify, but not the other one. She was…a mystery to him. Her heart beat was quick, like a bird's, which ruled out werewolf, vampire, and shape-shifter. Her skin glimmered slightly, like a fairy's, but she was too tall. And, obviously, she was not a witch. He would know.

"So, any luck yet, Dan?"

Dantmo Murchadh, known to the mortals and affectionately referred to by his clan as Dan, shook his head. "No. She is a puzzle, the redhead."

"I think she's got some vampire in her." Denham, also known as Den, sat down beside his older clan member.

"Well, if you had managed to get me their wallets and such, maybe we would know."

"Hey!" Den snapped. "How was I supposed to know my concealing charm wasn't in place?"

"Oh it was working." Dan promised. "But there was nothing natural that could've been rummaging through their bags like you were. By the time you'd gotten away, they already knew what they were looking at. It's the flaw in the spell."

Den cussed under his breath.

"Just…be patient." Dan said. "Tonight is the first night of the full moon. All _Fillos da Lúa_ will transform tonight."

"So, what? Are we riding tonight?" Den asked hopefully.

"Well, Didi did send us out here to monitor them. Once she hears this we're defiantly riding."

* * *

**Neve**

Leah and I were roughly the same height, but I felt like I was as tiny as a pup under her furious gaze. Jacob hovered anxiously nearby. Alpha or not, he knew when to not mess with Leah…even if she was ready to kill his imprint.

"I don't suppose you're sorry, are you?" she asked us.

I bit my lip and shook my head. "No, not really; we had fun."

Leah took a deep breath and let it out through her nose. "Do you have any idea…how worried I was? All I could think about was, 'what if they get hurt?'"

Renesmee and I glanced at each other.

"Even my professor noticed I was distracted. He took me aside at the end of class and asked what was up."

"I don't like that guy." Sash muttered nearby. "The way he looks at you makes me want to rip his throat out."

Leah threw him a quick smile then turned her attention back to us. "Something could've happened and I had _no _idea where to look! There are so many beaches you could've gone to! Next time you want to go out…just tell me!" her face softened a bit. "I was a teenager once, you know. I know I've been an ass lately, but seriously, just _ask_ me, ok? Don't have your brothers cause mayhem and sneak out."

"They volunteered to help." I pointed out.

"Nevertheless, just ask, alright?"

"Al…alright."

"WHAT?" Scuro shouted, storming into the room. "THAT'S ALL? YOU GIVE RAME AND ME A CRAPLOAD OF WORK AND ALL YOU GIVE THEM IS A FRIENDLY TELLING-OFF?"

Leah frowned and narrowed her eyes. "I was getting to that. Boys, the girls will help you with the mopping and you have till the end of the week to get it done. You're not grounded."

I sighed in relief. Mopping wasn't that bad.

"I agree with the girls. I'm getting stir crazy. We're going for a run tonight!" Jacob announced suddenly. "Sunset is in four hours and that's when we'll set off. Start packing!"

Leah looked excited. "Alright! I'll bring my camera!"

"And I'll bring my running shoes!" Renesmee added. "Come on, Neve. Let's go get the saltwater off us!"

As I was walking out the door, I heard Leah ask, "Neve, did you cut your hair?"

I just laughed and kept going.

* * *

**Third Pov**

Dahaka frowned. "If we ride tonight, chances are they will spot us."

Denham nodded. "Yes."

"You say that like it's a good thing." Delphina narrowed her eyes at her clan mate.

"You say it like it's a bad thing." Duckiya shot back. "They're the Angel's children! We should offer them our help!"

If an outsider were to look at them, they would suspect the clan of seven was actually a family. When they didn't have any glamour charms up, they all shared the same characteristics; electric blue eyes, chocolate brown hair, and rich, copper-olivey skin. Naturally, they all appeared very young. It was a defense mechanism in their very genes that was shared by their entire species. While they potentially lived to be around a thousand years, they most they ever looked was usually forty, unless they used a glamour to look older. It helped them blend in and gave their opponents little indication of their age.

The oldest in the clan at seven hundred and two years was the leader, Didinyla. Next came her husband, Dantmo, who was six hundred and fifty-five. Delphina, age two hundred and forty-nine, was their daughter. The others were either assigned to their clan when they moved away from the island or had come to live with them in recent years. According to tradition, all in the clan had to have a name beginning with 'D' since the leader's name began with that. Dahaka, Denham, and Dukiya had other names before they came to live with Didinyla and were given new ones. Dhartania, however, was the exception. She had come from a D clan that had been slaughtered when she was ten. She was probably one of the youngest of their kind at just the tender age of sixty-nine, appearing only thirteen naturally, and very aloof.

"They are not the Angel's children." Dahaka snapped. "That's just a legend."

Ducky scowled and, in her most intelligent voice, she recited from an old textbook: "The werewolf species hail the spirit of the moon, whom they call Celbra, and it is believed she is like a goddess to them. However, she is not a true deity like the Maker, but in fact, an angel who was trusted with the duty of watching over the descendants of the two she had blessed. Therefore it is to be concluded—"

"Oh shut it, Miss Know-it-all!" Dak snapped. "I know the legend!"

"It's _not _a legend!"

"Whatever."

Ducky puffed up and opened her mouth to start an argument that probably would end with someone's clothes on fire, when Dhart spoke up from her spot near the wall.

"What do you think, Del? You were on the trolley with them."

Delphina frowned. "I think we should leave them alone and just stay below the radar. Everyone thinks witches stay on the Islands and it should stay that way!"

Dhart sighed. "I agree only because I've seen what exposing ourselves can do. However, I wanted to know if you think they'd listen to reason and not kill us."

Del shrugged. "The werechild seemed very defensive but that was only because she thought I was a nosy old woman. She wanted to go to school so I'm assuming they're trying to remain under the radar, as well."

"Perhaps we could offer our services." Dan murmured.

"No!" Dak shouted, jumping up. "We should just leave them alone and wait for them to leave!"

"Seconded." Del raised her hand.

"I'm with Dan." Ducky hopped from the couch to stand near the warlock. Den, too, stood and took his place next to Dan. Dhart scowled and walked over to Dak at the same time Del did.

"Enough." Didinyla spoke for the first time. "Sit, all of you." Reluctantly, they sat down again, but on their respective sides and Didi spoke again. "I have been alive for a long, long time. I remember the Old Days when we witches mingled with the rest of the world. We were protectors and aids to the other races. In honor of our ancestors, we will help these _fillos e fillas da Lúa. _We ride tonight!"

While they didn't agree, Dak, Del, and Dhart didn't disobey. Ducky squealed in delight. "May I please, _please,_ get some fur samples if they let me?"

Didi sighed.

* * *

**Oh my my my...dere are witches in San Francisco o.o I've been waiting to add these guys in they are relatively minor characters but important.**


	41. School

***************August 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

******ALSO NOTE, I created a language for the werewolves that you will start seeing soon. If you want to understand them go to** children-of-the-moon . co. nr****** Just remove the spaces. Click on the link on the side that says Translator. *Note, the bios section contains SPOILERS* There is a link on my profile. **

******FYI, for any Final Fantasy X fans, you might think the language looks similar to Al Bhed. It's not. I created my own cypher and the wonderful Kazz (love you Kazzeh! :D) made the translator and the site.  
**

* * *

**Neve**

We'd been camping in the usual place in a state park just outside San Francisco. At about sunset we'd been finishing our nutritious meal of roasted and burnt hot dogs, bags of chips, liters of soda, and s'mores. Jean Nidetch would be so proud of us. I was the first one to sense something was up because of my little earth connection. Then when the feeling vanished Rame suddenly started sensing it. We decided to go out to investigate. After sundown the werewolves were forced into wolf form but the others remained in human form for the search.

They were hard to see. One second they were a cluster of mosquitoes and the next they were people until their image stabilized and we saw them for what they really were.

Growing up the way I did got me used to so many strange things. Skin sparkling (or slightly glowing in Renesmee's case), people morphing into wolves, the moon being my monthly can of Red Bull, strange dreams, inhuman strength and speed, plus the threat of a multitude of people who would kill me—or put me in some sort of lab or zoo—if they found out what I was. So…seven people sitting on what were basically floating skateboards shouldn't really have shocked me.

Right?

Wrong.

They wore dark cloaks and what can only be described as medieval garb. The girls wore dark dresses like the ones I saw on a Renaissance Fair advertisement and the guys' clothes reminded me of Robin Hood. I couldn't see their faces though, thanks to the hoods.

We formed a tense line a few meters from these people who took fashion back to the dark ages and extreme skating to a whole new level. Sash, my brothers and I, sadly, were forced to stay in our wolf forms. Renesmee perched on my back, hands curled into claws. Leah, Seth, and Jacob's formidable human forms made the strange people look very unimpressive.

"I assure you," the oldest one, a woman, said calmly. "We come in peace."

_That's what the aliens on _V_ said. _Sash thought, baring his teeth. _Look how that turned out._

_You're a nerd_, Rame teased.

_Guys, focus. _I growled.

"And why should we believe you?" Jacob asked coolly.

The seven figures looked at each other for a moment then one of them lowered his hood and I gawked. It was the police officer, Dan, from earlier at the beach. I bristled and flattened my ears. Renesmee gasped. Then the others lowered their hoods. I saw the kleptomaniac, Den, on the skateboard next to Dan. The others—four females and one other male— were unfamiliar to me. They all had the same strange, cinnamon-like skin, hair, and eyes that Dan and Den (if those were even their real names!) had.

"I know you! You're in my art class!" Seth pointed at one of the youngest girls who wore a beautiful violet dress.

The girl smiled and nodded. "Yep, that's me! You're the one who growls when you're frustrated."

Leah gave Seth one of her _looks_ and he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I'm not good at drawing stuff." Leah rolled her eyes.

"Which of you is Alpha?" asked the oldest woman.

Leah and Jacob exchanged a look and Leah said, "Jacob."

"But Leah's head of the house." Renesmee added.

The woman exchanged a glance with Dan. He just shrugged.

"What the hell are you?" Jacob asked bluntly.

"You really can't guess?" The girl in Seth's class asked. "We're Children of the Earth…you call us witches and warlocks."

Leah snorted. "And I suppose you've got Harry Potter hidden under those cloaks? Give me a break."

_Witches?_ Scuro seemed intrigued.

"You are lycanthropes." The girl went on as if Leah hadn't spoken, then she frowned. "At least _they_ are." She pointed at us. "You should be wolf formed right now but you're not and I don't have any idea what that one is." She pointed to Renesmee.

"_This one_ is a Halfling." Pointing at herself, Renesmee snapped, clearly offended.

The girl's eyes widened. "You're _Halfling_? Ooh! What species? Wait, wait, don't tell me." She waved her hands and scampered over to us. I was too startled to growl at her. She ran her finger along Renesmee's shin and frowned. "Hmm. Maybe—no, you wouldn't be able to…hmm. I'm gonna guess…human and…vampire?"

"Good job." Renesmee said.

The girl gasped. "Oh my gosh! Can I have a few locks of your hair, _please_?"

_Wha?_

"Get away," Jacob growled, reaching out to shove the little witch away.

The girl looked ecstatic when she felt his skin. "Shape-shifters! Oh wow! What form do you take? Are you avian, feline, reptilian, lupine, amphibious—"

"Duckiya!"

The girl winced and fell silent. Several of the witches were shaking their heads

"I apologize about her." The oldest female said. "She is rather dedicated and has the tendency to act like a human on a sugar high."

Duckiya blushed.

The woman sighed. "This is not how we had hoped to approach you, but somehow you saw through our glamour spells. I think we should do this properly. My name is Didinyla. This is my husband, Dantmo, and our daughter, Delphina." She gestured to 'Officer Dan' and the slender young woman with a diamond-shaped face and a smile that seemed forced. "You've already met Denham and on the end is Dahaka. That's Dhartania," she gestured to the youngest witch, "And well, I don't think I need to introduce Duckiya."

"But you can call me Ducky." Duckiya piped up.

Didinyla frowned. "Hush."

"I'm Jacob," Jacob said. "This is Seth and Leah. That's Renesmee up there. The larger white wolf is Sash, the smaller one is Neve, the dark one is Scuro, and the russet is Rame."

"Pleased to meet you." Dantmo smiled then turned his gaze on me. "I'm sorry about earlier, girls. Del was the old woman you saw in the trolley."

I snorted. That beautiful woman was _not_ the old nosey crab we'd seen.

"She was under a glamour," he explained as if he could read my mind. "She told us about you two and we tracked you to the beach. I had Den sneak in and try to figure something out. Unfortunately, you saw through his glamour then, too. A minor flaw in the spell, such a shame."

I saw Leah turn to look at me out of the corner of my eye but I kept my gaze firmly on the witches and warlocks.

Renesmee sighed. "So let me guess, he's not a kleptomaniac?"

"No," Den said. "I'm not. But it was the best lie for the situation. Sorry for freaking you out, but girl, you've got a mean right hook."

Rame and Scuro chortled and I gave him my best wolf smile and ducked my head.

"Well, that's great and all, but what do you want?" Leah asked the witches.

Didinyla smiled and slid off her mount. She was tall and radiated a power I'd never felt before. "In the old days, before the Great Migration—that was when most of our kind went to a safe haven in the western ocean—we were proud to help the other races. I was little then but I remember the lessons my mother taught me and I remember what it was like. I've not felt…right since then, but it's nearly impossible for witches to help today. Vampires would try to kill us because they fear us, like they fear you."

I wasn't the only one who winced and Renesmee said in a small voice, "Not all vampires are like that."

"I know, child." Didinyla sighed. "But there are so many who are that it is nearly impossible to tell them apart. And most humans would relate us to Harry Potter—" Leah frowned "—call us Devil-worshipers or cultists, or try to have us committed. It would also expose our existence and eventually yours, too. The Fae folk want nothing to do with anyone but themselves since their betrayal. Shape-shifters are often confused these days and sometimes accuse us of causing their transformations. Werewolves are really the only species willing to request and accept magic. And, honestly, you need it."

"So, what, you're offering us magical assistance? For nothing except giving you the satisfaction of helping others?" Leah asked skeptically. "Why don't I believe that?"

"Because you're sensible." Dahaka spoke for the first time.

Leah scowled and her hands balled into fists.

"Please don't get the wrong idea." Ducky pleaded. "We really do want to help. _Most_ of us_,_" she threw a dirty look at Dahaka, "were excited when we realized there were such young werewolves around. We know the Volturi started the whole extermination thing so we want to make sure that doesn't happens to you. If your race dies out then things will be thrown out of balance. The world hasn't been the same since the dragons died out."

_Dragons_? Rame perked up. Leah sighed again.

"Del heard them talking about school." Didinyla pointed at Renesmee and I. "We could help with that. Identifications, school records, supplies, glamours, guides, you name it. It is an honor to help you."

"You want to go to school?" Leah looked at us in surprise. The four of us nodded.

"Jacob?" she looked up at Jacob. "What do you think?"

Jacob sighed. "Alright. If you really want to help us that bad, then alright, but if you're lying, we kill you. Got it?"

Dhartania frowned. "You can try."

* * *

"Are you ready?" Ducky sang the moment I opened the door.

She looked different wearing modern day clothes. Her curly dark hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and the only makeup she had on was a bit of gloss. She was wearing a bright red tank top, jeans, and tan boots. I was wearing an elbow length light blue shirt and khaki cargo pants. We were both casually dressed yet she looked simply gorgeous in a way I knew I never would.

"Yeah, I guess." I said.

"Hey this was your idea." Ducky reminded me. "Now I need to step inside so I can cast the glamour spells."

I nodded and stood aside and closed the door behind her.

"Alright, you first, Neve. You need green eyes and normal teeth, correct?"

"Yes."

Ducky fiddled with the side of her jeans then her fingers slipped through an opening I hadn't noticed before and pulled out a long silver wand.

"I thought you said you aren't like Harry Potter." Renesmee leaned against the wall.

"We aren't." Ducky said patiently. "Let me put it this way. You can kill a person with your bare hands, but it's easier to use something like a gun or knife. Or you can cook with just your bare hands, but it's better to use cooking utensils. So yes, I could use just my hands, but the magic works better with a wand. We use wands for everything from spells to potion brewing. Now, this may tickle."

I nodded and tried not to blink as the tip of her wand touched the spot between my eyes. She muttered something too quickly for me to catch—it might not have even been English—and then a tingling sensation spread from the point where her wand connected with my skin to the edges of my face.

Renesmee's eyes widened. "Well that's gotta be the strangest thing I've see."

Ducky twirled the wand through her fingers, smirking proudly. "That should last until you shift forms again or until midnight. Whatever comes first."

"Why is it always midnight?"

"Well, according to the humans, that's when a new day officially begins. Witches say that dawn is the beginning of a new day, but since dawn is never at the same time and humans like consistency, they said that midnight is when a new day begins."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Midnight is when the moon is at its zenith."

"Ok…I still don't get it."

"You don't have to." Ducky winked and then skipped off to get my brothers.

"Something about her reminds me of Alice." Renesmee decided.

"Maybe it's the cheerfulness." I said. "Or…maybe it's because she makes even a simple outfit look good."

"Hmm."

"Whoa, Neve, let me see!" Rame bounded into the room and I opened my mouth, displaying what appeared to be normal human teeth. "Sweet."

"I'm ready!" Scuro tossed me my backpack and patted his. "Let's get going. Jake, man, hurry up!"

Jacob laughed as he entered the room. "Just wait two weeks. You'll be _begging_ to be home schooled again."

"You want to bet?"

"Sure. Ten bucks."

"You're on." They shook on it.

Ducky returned, twirling her wand again, and surveyed the three of us. "Alright. You're ready. Just want to go over a few things real quickly. Don't forget your new names, do not jump headfirst into a fight. In fact try to avoid them period. No growling, no associating with the Grayson kids, and use manners at lunch. Ninth grade are freshmen, tenth are sophomores, eleventh graders are juniors, and twelfth are seniors. You lot are juniors and therefore are upperclassmen. Upperclassmen rank higher than underclassmen. Capish?"

"High school is complicated." Scuro said.

"Capish?"

"Yes, ma'am." Rame grinned.

"Hey, guys, good luck, today." Leah gave each of us a hug. "If I get a phone call about any of you then you're getting your ass kicked. I'd walk you there but I'm probably gonna be late as it is."

"Well, get going!" Seth gave his sister a shove. She swung at him but he danced out of her reach.

* * *

In the movies, the new kids stand on the sidewalk and stare up at the school while all the other kids walk past them. In real life, the new kids hurry inside the school so as not to attract unwanted attention. But we attracted attention anyway. Except for Ducky and Renesmee, we were all over six feet tall.

"Hey, Jacob!" a guy pushed through a clump of students and fell in step beside us. "So, man, the guys and I were talking, and we wanted to know if there was any—hey, who're they?"

His features were distinctly Asian, but he had blonde hair that looked too real to be dye. His nose was a bit crooked and he was thickly muscled. Something about him screamed _jock!_ Maybe it was the school football jersey he was wearing. His eyes scrunched up as he studied us new kids.

"Guys, this is Lionel." Something about Jacob's voice made be sure he didn't exactly like this boy. "But he likes to be called Duke. He's the quarterback on the school team."

Yep. Jock.

Duke's eyes kept shifting between me and Renesmee. According to books I'd read, most girls my age—well, the age I _appeared_ to be—would get the willies and start blushing when a major jock was checking them out. I felt nothing like that. I didn't have any of the hormones teenagers developed that made them get crushes.

So, instead of bashfulness, I felt annoyance and defensiveness. I was protecting a member of my pack from an outsider.

"These are the others that live with us; Ramsey, Minerva, Scout, and my _girlfriend_, Renesmee." Jacob said calmly, but I could feel anger flowing from him.

At the world 'girlfriend,' Duke had the sense to stop eying us girls and turned his attention to my brothers.

"Dang, what is it with you guys?" he asked. "Did your moms mix steroids into your milk?"

"Something like that." Scuro smiled.

Duke just shook his head. "So, Jacob, my man, the guys and I were talking, and we really want you on the team. Would you at least come to tryouts and see what the coaches think? You can bring your girlfriend."

Renesmee bristled indignantly.

"Thank God Edward isn't here." Rame muttered to me.

Jacob's eyes narrowed dangerously but he kept his voice even. "No, dude, I already said no. That's my final answer."

"Aw c'mon, man."

"He said no!" I snapped. "Leave him alone about it!"

Duke frowned at me and he opened his mouth to say something but Jacob put his arm out to bar me from him. Duke reconsidered. "I'll see you later." He said pointedly and ushered us inside the school.

At the front office we checked in and got our schedules.

_1__st__ period— Hon Earth Science_

_2__nd__ period— Gym_

_3__rd__ period— Hon English_

_Lunch/Rec._

_4__th __period— Hon World History_

_5__th__ period— Hon Algebra II _

_6__th__ period— Art_

Earth Science, eh? So first thing in the morning, I was to be educated in the scientific ways of the element I had long ago bonded with. Lovely.

I shared the class with Rame which made it easier to bear. We both walked into the class, met the teacher, got seats, and got ready to fill our heads with the knowledge society expected us to learn at this school funded by tax payer's dollars and major grants.

Rame's well-built form kept the males in the class from looking at me too much, but my presence did nothing to ward off the females who eyed my brother like he was a prize to be claimed. If that's what hormones did then I was _so_ glad I didn't have them. I tried to ignore them—it wasn't as if they'd _ever_ have a shot with him—but after one brunette girl blinked her eyes at him while we were doing a little experiment, I snapped.

"Do you have something in your eye?" I asked in a steely voice. "Maybe you should run it under the faucet."

Her blinking became rapid for a moment as heads turned to smirk and grin at us. Then she scowled, tossed her hair, and went back to work. Her scent made me wrinkle my nose. I hated perfume.

That's how a pack works. We protect one another, especially from the dangers of overly-hormonal human teenagers.

"Thanks." Rame brushed some of his too-long auburn hair out of his eyes.

I smiled. "You'll do the same for me."

He paused to consider that then shook his head. "No. I'll do worse if that dude over there doesn't quit checking you out." And he followed that with a quick glare over his shoulder.

I groaned softly.

_You wanted this, Neve._ I reminded myself.

Nessie, Rame, Scuro and I were some of the first ones in gym. Ducky came hurrying in right before the bell rang, beaming from ear to ear. She skipped over to us and without ever dropping her pleased expression she said softly, "Adrenaline rushes will make your eyes turn yellow so we made sure you had gym with me. I can cast a charm to make your eyes appear normal."

"Good idea." Scuro nodded. "But what about your," he glanced around for any eavesdroppers then lowered his voice, "wand?"

Ducky reached into the hidden slot in her pants leg and pulled out the long silver stick. As we watched it changed. One second it was the hoary wand and the next it was a small ballpoint pen.

"That's cool."

Ducky smiled. "It's only a glamour. Your only _think_ you're seeing a pen. It's all in your head. It's still my wand."

"Is it possible to break glamours?" I asked nervously.

"Yes," Ducky said ruefully. "That's the flaw of this particular spell. It's possible to strip it away but only if you know exactly what you're looking for. So don't worry, I doubt any of these humans will be able to see through it."

Could I? I stared at the pen/wand. The two battled in my mind. I _knew_ it was a wand just as I _knew _I was seeing a pen. The image wavered after a moment and then I was seeing her wand again.

"I did it!" I whispered excitedly.

Ducky winked.

"Ehem!"

I spun around and found the gym teacher and most of the class staring at us, already changed and ready for class to start.

"Danielle, would you and your friends care to join us?"

Danielle was Ducky's alias and she supposedly got her nickname for the way she used to waddle around when she was younger.

"Yes, Coach." Ducky said apologetically and scurried over to the locker room.

"Hmm." He frowned at the four of us. "Well go on. Get changed."

"Uh, sir, we don't have any gym clothes." I explained.

"I know. I put them in your lockers in there." He jerked his head at the door doorway where Ducky disappeared. "Your names are on the lockers. Get moving."

I had to kick Rame in the shin to remind him he couldn't go into our locker room—it wasn't that he was hoping to see some girls, he and Scuro had never really had to worry about the girls-only-in-this-room rule. I found my locker, C6, and I was actually surprised that the standard issue gym outfit actually fitted me.

As soon as the boys were finished changing and they joined us with the class, the Coach blew his whistle.

"Ok. Since we've had a late start I've decided we won't be doing basketball drills today." He announced much to the delight of many kids. Their glee was short lived. "So, give me twenty laps around the gym!"

There were groans and hateful looks were shot our way. I ignored them and sprinted off. We didn't even get close to our potential top speeds, but Nessie, Rame, Scuro, and I lead the pack of kids around the gym, eventually passing up the stragglers. We finished in four and a half minutes flat. Coach stared.

We weren't even breathing heavily.

Next on the agenda was a nice game of dodge-ball. Oh happy day!

The Coach put me and Scuro on one team and Renesmee and Rame on the other. Ducky got out quickly and skipped over to the sidelines. I found out why a few minutes into the game. Rame tossed me a ball and I saw his eyes were yellow. Of course. Adrenaline. I looked around for Ducky and spotted her on the sidelines, face intent, with the wand pointed at Rame.

Good.

I threw the ball and it hit a dark-skinned boy where it counts. Rame roared with laughter.

I got nailed in the gut when I lost focus for a split second by the gleam of yellow in Scuro's eyes and he got hit when he ducked down to grab more ammunition.

Renesmee ended up winning.

My next class, English, I shared with Seth.

"How did _you_ get in an Honors English class?" I asked him.

He poked my shoulder. "How did _you_, little girl?"

I stuck my tongue out at him.

He turned out to be relatively good in English. We both barely managed to suppress wild laughter when the class was told to read _Blood and Chocolate_ by the end of the month. What better way to welcome a werewolf into the class than by assigning them a book about inaccurately depicted werewolves?

But something brought me up short a few minutes later. The humans' scent was so strong that it almost completely masked the scent of my packmates. Except for the brief incidents with our eyes, I hadn't really felt like a werewolf at _all_ today. I felt…human.

The woeful tales of horrible school lunches were just that: tales. The food was pretty damn good, actually. Chicken nuggets, a yeast roll, mashed potatoes, peaches, milk, and a snickers bar. Yum. We sat with Dak and Ducky and no one bothered us.

Ducky said something unintelligible through the food in her mouth. I raised one eyebrow. This was the girl who told us to use manners at lunch. She swallowed the food and pointed. "Those are the ones I told you to avoid. The Graysons."

We turned and looked over our shoulder. A group of about ten kids were walking towards a table near the window. Each person's hair had been dyed an unnatural color, like fire-engine red in one girl's case and brilliant lavender in another's. Other than that, they looked normal.

"What's wrong with them?"

"They're a, well, gang. Not like your normal back-alley gang, but more like some sort of cult. They're all human, trust us. No one likes to go near them because bad things seem to happen to those who make them mad and if you hang out with them you get…sucked in. See the girl with magenta hair?"

She was in the back of the group, sporting a pair of black jeans and a graffiti t-shirt.

"Yeah."

"Her name was Leslie Compton."

I swallowed a bite of potatoes. "_Was_?"

"Yeah." Dak said sadly. "She used to be a cool kid. We weren't a couple, for obvious reasons, but we hung out a lot. I never told her what I was, of course. Then one day I had to stay late in class to help the teacher and when I got to lunch she was talking with Barley Grayson, one of the original members. She started hanging out with me less and less until one day she dyed her hair magenta, changed her name to Briar and never looked back. Legally she's still Leslie, but as far as anyone here is concerned, she's Briar."

"Dang…" Rame glanced over at the Grayson gang again.

"Creepy." Renesmee agreed. "I wish Dad was here. I'd love to know what's going on inside their heads."

Dak took a bite of his mashed potatoes and sighed.

"Barley and Briar…" Renesmee said between bites. "Do they all have plant names?"

"Yeah." Ducky said. "Herbal plants and spices. One girl is called Paprika."

I giggled, automatically thinking of _Blue's Clues._

As luck would have it, I had Briar in my last class, art. The teacher seemed a bit reluctant to place me at the table with Briar, but it was the only seat available and I told her I didn't mind. We got our assignment and went to work.

"Hi, Leslie." I said politely as we sketched designs for our project.

She froze and raised her head. She blinked her bright blue eyes at me and said nothing.

"I'm Minerva, but you can call me Neve."

She continued to stare.

"Can't you talk?" I asked, cocking my head to one side.

"How do you know that name?" she asked.

"It's your name, isn't it?"

"Not anymore."

"Why'd you change it? Leslie is a pretty name, much better than _Minerva._" Seriously, Jasper must not have much of an imagination if that's the only name he could think of.

Briar looked around then looked at me again. "Don't you know you shouldn't talk to us?" she asked icily. "We might try to convert you."

"I think I'll be fine." I smiled then I realized what she was sketching. "You're drawing a wolf."

She looked down at her paper and nodded. "Yeah, I am. I really like wolves."

"Um, the snouts a bit off." I pointed to the tip of the muzzle. "A wolf's nose isn't so sharp-tipped. It's more rounded, like a dog's."

She arched one eyebrow.

"How do you know?"

"I'm a werewolf." I said simply. It felt nice to say it after a day of pretending to be human. She smiled and laughed, a nice sound, obviously not believing me, but amused all the same.

"You're alright," she said.

"You too," I agreed. "So, don't hex me, alright?"

Briar sighed and rolled her eyes. "We did _not_ hex anyone. Those cheerleaders were standing on bleachers. Just because that one chick fell when Foxglove walked by doesn't mean she put a spell on them. Still," she chucked, "they probably would've expelled us by now except for the fact they can't get any solid evidence on us."

"So, if you aren't witches and crap, what's the deal?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not here to spy or anything." I assured her. "I'm just the curious new girl. …If you can't tell me that's fine. I have my secrets, too."

"Thanks." She said.

We talked till the end of class then turned in our drawings. "Same time tomorrow?" I asked.

Briar smiled. She had a nice smile.

* * *

"So, Neve." Ducky cornered me after school. "Word has it that you were all buddy-buddy with Briar Grayson in last period."

I arched one eyebrow. "News travels fast."

"Why, Neve?"

"Well, we sit next to each other and I was curious. She's very nice, actually, and she likes wolves. She said they didn't hex anyone."

"Well _obviously._" Ducky's voice got the know-it-all tone again. "Hexes can be categorized as dark magic because of their potentially devious nature, depends on the caster. Hexes require a great level of magical skill and practice since they though it really are not illusions but rather physical changes. In order to cast hexes they would have to be real witches and be several decades—hey!"

Dak poked her with his dark gray wand. "You've got to shut her up fast," he explained to us. "Or she can go on until your ears bleed."

"That would take hours." I said.

"Exactly."

* * *

"So, how many bodies will they find?" was Sash's greeting when we walked through the door, still trailing Ducky.

"Just one." I said lightly.

His eyes widened just a bit. "Who's?"

"Yours."

"Haha." He muttered.

Leah came home an hour later looking annoyed so it was a good thing we were already doing our homework. She asked how it went and gave me a high-five when I told her about gym class and what I told that girl in science. I didn't bring up Briar.

Art and gym class were neck and neck in the race to be my favorite class. Gym class got my blood pumping and made me feel alive, but I got to talk to Briar in art class. She really was a cool kid, I could tell why Dak had loved her company. The other kids in the class gave me weird looks sometimes and I heard them placing bets on how long it would be till I crossed over to the dark side.

"Neve," she said a few weeks after we'd started school, "Barley and Eaglewood want to meet you."

"Who?" I asked though I already knew who they were.

"Our leaders," she said slowly.

"The Grayson kids," I clarified. Even though they're all called the "Graysons" by the rest of the school, the members themselves only refer to the founding brother and sister as the Grayson kids since their surnames really are Grayson. Briar had explained that much to me.

She nodded.

"Why?"

She shrugged. "It's up to you, but it might be a good idea just to go and, you know, say hello."

I raised one eyebrow. "Why do they want to meet me?"

Briar hesitated and looked down at her drawing. We were sketching the outlines for our landscape paintings today. Hers was focused on a forest clearing with the city visible just over the treetops in the distance.

"They're…they're like parents." She said slowly. "They want to make sure you're okay for me to hang out with."

I bristled and barely suppressed a snarl. "I'm not going to have a kid my own age determine whether or not I can talk to someone or not and neither should you. So, no, I will not be going to meet them. If you can't be my friend anymore just because they say so, well then it was nice while it lasted, but sorry."

She looked away and we didn't speak for the rest of class.

After school I watched her join her little gang over on the west side of the building. She said something that I couldn't make out over the din of the other voices, but then the fire-engine red haired girl, Eaglewood Grayson, looked at me. I met her gaze challengingly and as I watched, her demeanor changed. She suddenly seemed defensive and I stood still, holding my ground. Was it fear I saw on her face?

She finally looked away and though practically all of them were looking in my direction, not one of them could look me in the eyes.

I had Dak and Ducky wait with us for Leah to get back then we had a pack meeting. The witches explained about the Graysons and I explained how I'd been hanging around Briar, one of the newest members. I made a few corrections that I'd learned then I told them about Briar's message and my confrontation with Eaglewood.

"She actually held your stare longer than ten seconds?" Rame asked. "I'm impressed."

Of my brothers and sisters, Alba had always been the Alpha-ranking one though Scuro acted like it. After her death and Luna's departure, I'd become like the Alpha of the three of us, yet still ranking under Jacob, Leah, Seth, and Sash. Yet Sash seemed to have a hard time meeting my gaze evenly for extended periods of time, especially when I wasn't in a good mood.

"So, do you think I should…meet them?" I asked.

"I want to know who they are." Jacob said firmly. "And what they are."

"They're human," I assured him. "I've smelt no non-human scent on Briar besides my own."

"Ok, but there's something not right there." He argued. "I want to know if we need to do something about this."

"Don't let them get to you," Renesmee pleaded and Ducky nodded.

"I won't." I said. "I'm a werewolf. I can hold my own."

Leah smiled at me. "If there's any trouble you maim them so badly that not even their mothers will be able to identify them. Then again…" her smile turned dark. "Save some for us."

"Do you think maybe I should go with you?" Rame asked.

I shook my head. "They don't know you, Rame."

So, during Algebra, I sketched up a little drawing and at the beginning of art I slipped it to her. I saw her smile as she looked down at a little alien saying "Take me to your leader, earthling."

* * *

**Leah**

I put my head in my hands.

Sash gave me a kiss on the side of my neck and rubbed my arm. "It'll be alright, Lee. They're just humans."

"No, Sash, that's not it."

He pulled back and I felt him lean around to face me. "Leah?"

"Carlisle called yesterday." I said, looking up from my hands. "Alice had a vision. The Volturi are planning something horrible. And worse…they know where we are."

Sash stared at me for a second, mouth open in shock, then suddenly he seized my face and kissed me roughly for a few seconds. "I won't let _anyone_ hurt you, Leah." He whispered.

"It's not me I'm worried about."

* * *

**Third POV**

The young werewolf's eyes flew open and she screamed. She sat up, holding her head, still screaming bloody murder.

"Dawne!" an older werewolf flew into the tent and knelt beside her. "Dawne, Dawne, _lcyh un lbefr_?"

She stopped screaming but she continued to hyperventilate and tears streamed from her cobalt eyes. The older werewolf put his arms around her and rocked her gently.

"Shh, shh." He murmured. "It's alright, child. You are safe. The spirits cannot plague your mind anymore."

Gradually, the young werewolf calmed down. She trembled and tears trickled down her cheek. By that time, it seemed as if the entire pack had gathered outside the tent. He knew he had to ask his granddaughter what was wrong, if only to calm the pack.

"What did you see?" he asked.

Dawne looked up at him with a sorrow in her eyes that nearly made him want to cry. "There going to come for us." she whimpered. "There's going to be a battle. We're all going to die."

* * *

**Jane**

Humans were easily entertained. Humans throwing balls around, games, movies, and other things could entertain the species for hours. It was all dull in my opinion. But this…this is entertainment.

Since she joined us, the guard has had little need to execute anyone. She took on the job we gave her and she relishes it. It's definitely a little hard having her around, but at least she does her job well. Unless circumstances demand criminals to be killed on the spot, we bring as many as we can back here. We love watching this. Even Marcus seems to get some enjoyment out of these encounters. Only Caius avoids this place. It's amusing to watch their reactions when they see their opponent approaching them from the other side of the arena.

She really isn't that intimidating, but then again, neither am I. That's one thing we have in common. People underestimate us because of our size and then they pay dearly for it. Sometimes, just for fun, I'll let the victim have a bit of my medicine while she catches her breath and heals any wounds she may have received, but then I release them and she will go in for the kill.

I can't go down into the arena myself, though. She could lose her head and turn on me too quickly for me to react. More than most things I hate that thought.

Her current opponent wiped out an entire chain of small towns in Spain and we'd had to start a wildfire to cover it all up. She loves fighting vampires like this one, the gifted ones. This particular fellow could release a high-frequency sound that is very painful. She seems to be having a bit of trouble and the area around her ears is stained with blood.

The vampire lets out another screeching noise and then she whines in agony, but continues her assault. She's getting tired, though.

She might lose.

That is unacceptable.

I smile. He screams. He falls to the ground, grabbing at the ground as I continue to assault him with my mind. She stands to the side, panting, teeth gritted, while she waits to heal. She straightens and snarls and that's when I know she's ready. I end the attack and she lunges at him before he can collect himself.

It's over within seconds. She removes his head so he cannot scream then backs away. He bursts into flame and everyone claps, some cheering, and almost everyone rises to their feet. One of our current humans hurries across the arena floor carrying her dark cloak.

He pauses a few feet from her and she finally tears her gaze away from the burning remains of her latest kill. I see him smile and bow. She changes back and takes the robe to cover herself. She pulls her long, silvery blonde hair out from the back and bows to Aro and Marcus.

Aro raises his hands and everyone falls silent. He looks down at her with a fondness he reserves for a few of us. I've learned to deal with that simply because she really is, in her own way, worthy of it. Besides, I know I am more special than she is.

"Well done, Luna."

The werewolf smiles, "Thank you, Master."


	42. Crescent Moon

*******************August 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Neve**

When the final bell rang the following day I hurried to my locker to get the stuff for my homework and then followed Briar out to their gang's little corner outside the school to introduce me to them.

Their names were Barley, Eaglewood, Sage, Paprika, Mint, Valerian, Catnip, Hawthorn, Foxglove, and Yarrow. Some of them, like Mint, Catnip, and Foxglove had been dubbed so probably because of physical features. Foxglove had a narrow, pointed face and reddish eyebrows that hinted of ginger hair under the lavender dye, Mint had eyes the color of mint leaves and similar hair, and Catnip had slanted, catlike eyes and a grin that reminded me of the Cheshire Cat.

They all stared at me nonstop. It was almost creepy. Briar acted differently too, scrutinizing me like her fellow weird-haired friends. Eaglewood kept trying to meet my eyes as Barley spoke to me, but I kept my gaze firmly locked with his. He held it the entire time we talked.

"Honestly, I don't see what the big fuss is." I answered when he asked what I thought about all the rumors about them. "If you're really not doing anything bad to anyone then they shouldn't be so...harsh. You're just doing your own thing and the rest are doing the mainstream thing."

Barley looked impressed. "Hmm, Minerva Clearwater, we want to invite you to our little hangout tomorrow night."

Someone inhaled sharply and most of them threw him incredulous looks.

"Where is this, exactly?" It didn't matter, though. Tomorrow was the full moon and I would _not_ be anywhere near this freaky lot when I was due to transform.

"The woods just south of the city."

I bit my lip. The woods _were_ a good place to meet and a good place to escape in. I could just say I needed to go when I felt the transformation coming on and lope away before they could follow.

"Sounds fun—I'm in."

Everyone looked surprised. Except Barley. He smiled. "Meet us here at six. Bring clothes you can run in."

As I was walking away I heard a boy mutter in an accented voice, "Barley…if she _is_ one, then her brothers must be, too."

"We'll worry about them later."

The entire pack was assembled in the living room area when I got home. I immediately launched into my story, skipping over the tidbit I heard at the end, and assuring them that the whole thing had been civil and I'd not been asked to sell my soul. When I finished Leah was shaking her head. "You're not going."

"Leah, I need to."

"_No_, Neve." she stood up. "You're not going to be with a bunch of humans during the night of a full moon! My decision is final."

"I don't care." I stood up, too. "This is the only chance I'll get at this! If I back out they'll never offer the opportunity again. I can go, observe, then run when I need to and they'll never know. …I'm going with or without your permission."

She glared dangerously for a long time. The boys and Renesmee had the sense not to butt in. I felt the pressure of Nessie's foot on the back of my leg reassuringly. I held Leah's glare evenly. I was starting to wonder if she'd ever respond when she finally growled, "If you come back with orange hair, I'm going to kill you."

I relaxed. "Ok. So, purple hair's fine, then?"

"Neve!"

"Kidding."

Briar was absent on Friday so in art I had to work with a blonde girl named Kim, whose partner was also AWOL. She was quite the chatterbox, that one, and she didn't seem to get my stony expression was because I didn't give a sniff about the latest football groupie scandal. I finally just tuned her out and imagined super gluing her lips shut. The thought made me smile and not reach over to slap her. She couldn't even draw that well and when she wasn't chatting about gossip she was asking me about my picture. It was the cliff where Alba had fallen. I'd seen it through memories.

"You're from Alaska, right? Is that some place in Alaska?" Kim asked.

I figured it was worth a shot, humans don't tend to get chatty about death, so I said: "It's where my sister died."

She fell silent.

I went home to eat and get clothes and so Ducky could strengthen the glamour because our eyes turned yellow the moment the moon rose. "Stay out of the moonlight." She instructed. "Your true self will overpower the illusion and dispel it. I don't think they'll take your eyes turning from green to yellow all that well."

I nodded. They'd freak out.

"And if they start chanting or face painting get the hell out of there." She added almost as an afterthought.

I made a face but nodded.

"You want us to tail you?" Rame muttered to me and I shook my head. I could hold my own. I didn't need my brothers protecting me.

* * *

**Luna**

I sit at the desk in my quarters, staring at the computer screen in front of me.

The Volturi have really hooked me up in this castle and no one else rooms near me because no one else really wanted to be around me at first. You know, the whole mortal enemies thing. I got a room with an attached bathroom, lounge, and even a kitchen so I could make my own food. No offense to Chelsea, the only vampire here who knows a damn thing about cooking, but chefs sometimes need to be able to check their food's progress by taste and smell, and when it all smells and tastes like crap to you then your potential is limited. She, however, has never failed with steak.

Aro has been very kind to me. I've been supplied everything I need to personalize my space. I painted wolves on the walls and the moon in all its phases. My eyes flick up to the moon mural and I smile. It smells like a forest in here, the combination of several air scents I discovered coexist quite well. However, I do not recommend testing scents in an area you wish to smell decent because several combinations have nasty results. Apple Cinnamon and Ocean Breeze should _not_ mix.

I look back at the computer screen in front of me. I've already hacked in and it's only safe to screw with the United States government about once a day. Why waste this? I type in the information. After a few moments, different camera feeds appear and I watch, waiting. It's the full moon. Surely they're moving around tonight. They have to have a place they shift for the moon. Hopefully…I can see them.

They betrayed me, all of them. Leah, Jacob, Seth, my brothers, my sister…they chose that _boy_ over me. But I got part of my revenge. I told the three brothers that Sash's family knew the about our world and that they were a new batch of Cullen pets. I requested one of their number be brought back and Aro sent out Jane and some others to eliminate the problem. They did not fail.

She hates Leah. She hates Sash for loving Leah. I hate Sash for taking Mama and for killing my sister. I hate Leah for choosing him.

She's outside my door right now

"Come on in," I say before she can raise her hand to knock.

The door opens in the other room and closes gently. I listen to her graceful footsteps, never taking my eyes off the screen.

"What are you doing?" she pulls up a chair and sits down beside me. "Oh. San Francisco. Seen mommy dearest yet?"

"Nope," I frown. "I did see her and Sash on their campus yesterday, though. Leah looked annoyed and Sash was laughing. …They're not going to split up, Penny; you should realize that by now. Werewolves mate for life."

That was another thing. Apparently I'd turned Sash into a werewolf when I bit him. Whoops.

She huffs and tosses her dark hair over her shoulder. I have to admit, she took to vampirism with ease. Sure there was the whole newborn stage where she was practically addicted to blood that she'd just recently emerged from, but she'd loved the strength, senses, speed, and she loved the beauty. She wasn't as pretty as Rosalie—only Heidi could even start to compete with her—but she was gorgeous. Her copper skin looked a bit creepy with the pale complexion but, honestly, Demarco looked weirder. He'd been like, _really_ black before he was a vampire, and now his really dark skin had gone pale from the lack of blood. Now _that_ is freaky looking.

Penny folds her arms and leans back. "Want a Popsicle?"

"Grape Kool-Aid, please," I say.

She stands up and heads to the kitchen. My eyes continue to flit around the screen, searching for a familiar face in the masses of humans. She comes back with a glass of grape Kool-Aid holding a Popsicle stick in the middle. I let my eyes move from the screen and watch her hand hover over the glass. A moment later, she pulls out a perfectly frozen Kool-Aid Popsicle and hands it to me.

"You're getting better." I say and return my eyes to the screen, nibbling on my treat.

Penny laughs once. "At this rate I'll be able to refreeze the water at the poles by Christmas."

"Excellent. Now if only you could heal the hole in the O-zone."

"Well, when the scientists decide freezing our atmosphere will be good for the planet, you let me know."

That's why I asked for Penny to be spared. I can't explain it, but I _knew_ she would be gifted. Aro was a bit skeptical but when Penny accidentally froze an entire fountain of water after waking up as a newborn, he decided to formally invite her to the Volturi. She can freeze things. We have no idea what her true potential is. Right now she can only make liquids solid. Whether or not she will be able to just cool things down and freeze anything besides liquid, we don't know yet.

A flash of something _very _white catches my eyes on one of the screens. I enlarge it then I find myself staring down at a girl with very, very pale blonde hair. Almost…white. She is hurrying along the streets, weaving through the humans with a finesse few can achieve. My frozen treat now lies forgotten as my hands fly along the keyboard, keeping the image of her on screen through various cameras along the route. Finally, she stops in front of a high school. My eyebrows rise. Are they students there?

Unfortunately, the school cameras are on another interface and I have no access from here. "Damn!" I snarl.

The last image from the camera shows her hurrying down a dark area beside the school and then she's gone. I return to the first camera, rewinding the images and freeze on a good shot of her. I hit pause and lean back, staring at the screen. Yes, it's Neve alright. It's been over a year since I've seen her face but I know it's her.

She's older now, physically in her early twenties, but to me, she doesn't look a day over eighteen.

I point at her. "Neve."

Penny studies the picture for a moment, then laughs. "Wow, that's little Neve alright! Can you get into the school's database?"

"I can try," I say. "It'd be easier if I was actually in America, you know."

"Well, try."

I sigh and close out of the San Francisco Police Department's database and work on getting into the school systems. Windows pop up and vanish in seconds as my fingers fly again, my mind working faster than the computer. Meanwhile, Penny cleans up the Popsicle and brings me a cup of frozen Trix yogurt. That's good stuff. I put my hand around it for two seconds and listen to it hiss as it defrosts rapidly.

"I'm in," I announce a minute later. I run a search on Neve's name and I find nothing. Then Rame and Scuro turn up nothing. Then I look up the surname, Clearwater.

_Minerva Clearwater, 17, 11__th__, 91236_

_Ramsey Clearwater, 17, 11__th__, 91231_

_Scout Clearwater, 17, 11__th__, 91233_

_Seth Clearwater, 16, 10__th__, 89652_

"'There was a farmer who had a dog and bingo was his name-o…'" Penny sang softly.

One last search.

_Jacob Black, 18, 12__th__, 89714_

I found my family.

"I'll let Aro know." Penny stands up and hands me my yogurt. "Now get off there before we get the United States National Guard on our asses."

I laugh.

* * *

**Neve**

Those kids were pretty good actors. I would've never believed these rowdy teenagers were the same cold, outcasts from school if I hadn't watched the personality shifts before my eyes.

We piled into the large brown van and the closer we got to the city's edge, the happier they all seemed to become.

Our driver was the boy called Yarrow. He had one of those faces you just don't forget. His eyes were a little hollow but the green irises glimmered from within. His long hair was dyed indigo and pulled up into a ponytail. Cute. I hadn't heard him speak until he barked an order at one of the kids in the very back in a strange, almost French, accent, then I recognized the voice as the one who'd spoken as I walked away yesterday.

I was sharing a seat with Valerian, a petite girl with light pink hair and more freckles than I'd ever seen on a person. She seemed eager to talk to me but at least she paused to take breaths while speaking unlike a certain blonde in my art class…

"—which, I really don't think was fair, but no one believes me except these guys. And no one believes them either, so…" she sighed.

"Well, I believe you." I smiled. "Even you aren't small enough to break into a vending machine like that."

She beamed. "So, what are you changing your name to?"

I stared. Changing my name? What? Was this some initiation ceremony they were taking me to?

Valerian must've understood my expression because she hit her forehead. "I meant if you could change your name from Minerva to something else, what would it be?"

"Just Neve." I said. "It means snow. My hair used to be practically white and that's where the nickname came from."

Valerian nodded. "I picked mine because my grandmamma used to grow valerians outside in her garden. They were this color," she pointed to her hair then sighed. "I miss her. Sorry, you probably don't want to hear about this stuff."

"No, it's fine." I gave her a reassuring smile. "I lost my parents, a brother, and my sisters a long time ago."

"Do you miss them?"

"Only my sisters," I look out the window. "I actually knew them. My father died before I was born, my brother was stillborn, and my mother died during childbirth."

The pity on her face made me sigh inwardly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." I told her. "I have a family and even though we're not all related by blood, I love them. We're not all the same, but we all understand each other, for the most part."

"That's how it is for us, _chica_." The white-haired Mexican boy, Sage, leaned over the seat and told me in my ear. I reached up and poked him between the eyes. "Hey!" he laughed and proceeded to poke me in the back of the neck until Foxglove yanked him away by the ear.

I giggled.

"Alright! Everyone out!" Yarrow hollered from the front.

The van was still in motion, but the doors were flung open and everyone except Yarrow and Eaglewood jumped out so I followed. I landed on the dirt path and watched the van drive away.

"What are they doing?" I asked.

"Going to hide the van so no one messes with it," Mint explained. "We learned that lesson the hard way. We used to drive a truck out here."

"How bad was it?"

"Well, normally Hawthorn is our mechanic, but not even he could undo some of the damage. And for a 'professional' it would've cost more than we could all raise in time so we pawned the truck and started using this van. But," She smiled darkly. "We made the vandals pay, and I don't mean with money."

I figured it was best not to ask.

Barley led us to a clearing that looked very familiar, but I couldn't place it. We never camped in this place and we never ran this close to the city when we were in our other forms.

Foxglove got to work on the fire and by the time Yarrow and Eaglewood returned carrying two duffel bags, the fire was roaring.

"Chow time!" one of the boys hooted and the first duffel bag was opened and hotdogs were being roasted. I half expected someone to bust out a pack of Doritos or a root beer, but the only other thing they brought for nourishment was bottled water.

Within minutes we were all laughing and stuffing our faces with the cooked dogs. My appetite was monstrous and I was still eating when the others had finished. During the meal, they were cracking jokes, some more appropriate than others, and drinking toasts to random people and things that only boys would think of toasting to. But I wasn't fully into it. I could feel the stirrings of my inner wolf as the sun sank beneath the sky and the moon began to rise. I only had about an hour.

"So," I said once I ate the last hot dog I had. "Did you guys bring me out here just to fatten me up and educate me in lewd humor or was there something else?"

My words seemed to suck all humor out of our circle. Several of them looked uncomfortable while the others looked anxious. Everybody looked at Barley.

Barley pushed his stone gray hair out of his face and smiled at me. "You're different, Neve. I can tell."

Talk about getting to the point. I smiled nervously. "Oh, can you now? How?"

"'Cause we're different too." he said matter-of-factly. "We think you're different like us…and you just don't realize it yet."

I raised my eyebrows. "I'm listening."

"What do you know about _Niños de la Luna_?" Sage asked me, leaning forward.

_Crap!_ "Um…what?"

"Werewolves."

_Oh crap! Crap, crap, crap! _"Not much…" I said carefully. "Just that they're shape-shifters, capable of being human and wolf, cannot have silver in their bloodstream, and must transform on the full moon."

They were shaking their heads by the time I was done.

"Nah. Some of that's just myth. Werewolves can't shape-shift, not physically anyway."

I nearly burst out laughing at the ignorant idiots. I snorted instead. "And how would _you_ know that?"

Sage smiled.

"We're here to run," Barley changed the subject, still smiling calmly. "We'll be running all night. Are you up to it?"

"No," I said. "I really have to be home by ten…"

A low chuckle ran around the circle and they started to get to their feet.

"Have fun walking home, then," Barley said, "'cos the van isn't leaving this forest until dawn. We'll be back here about a half hour before then. Good luck with all the wild animals. We're going to be running 'til sunup."

No human would refuse to go with them after hearing that. As a werewolf, I had absolutely _no_ fear of any woodland creatures here and since it was a full moon, I should've just seen them off then got the hell out of there and come up with some brave tale of returning to the city on my on by Monday. But I didn't.

Besides…Running 'til sunup on the night of a full moon…how could any true werewolf resist? I'd just sneak away once I shifted.

"Alright," I jumped to my feet. "I'm in."

Barley smiled. The other duffle bag was opened and clothes were distributed. They stripped down without shame and changed into the short, nearly skintight jeans and tank tops. I changed into the sports top and shorts I'd brought and a pair of running shoes Ducky courteously provided/stole.

"_We can't make something out of nothing. I transported these here from the Payless down the road. No, I didn't pay, but do vampires ever visit the funerals of their food?"_

"Interesting wardrobe." Catnip told me.

I shrugged. "It works for me."

Catnip gave me her Cheshire grin and I suppressed a violent shiver. I'd hate to see that chic as a vampire.

"What's this have to do with werewolves?" I dared to ask.

Yarrow put his hand on my shoulder. "We are werewolves."

I jerked back so quickly that I nearly fell over. _Impossible!_ My eyes searched his face, looking for any signs of glamour, trying to see any yellow in his eyes. Nothing. Solid green. I relaxed. Of course they were lying. Werewolves not being able to shift, pfft! What a load of crap! They weren't werewolves. I wiped the fear off my face and replaced it with doubt.

"Then become wolves. Go on, right now, do it." I ordered.

Yarrow flinched. "We…can't. That's just a myth. Our bodies don't change on the full moon. That's impossible. It's our minds that change. It's like…" he gestured pointlessly with his hands. "It's like our minds become wolf minds. We can…hear each other's thoughts during the night and, well, I guess some of it is physical. We're stronger and faster and we've got enough stamina to pass up a little kid on a sugar high."

My eyes widened. Strength, speed, stamina, telepathy… That couldn't be coincidence. I took a deep breath, breathing in their scents. They were _human_! My head started to throb. This was crazy.

"We think you might be one, too." He went on calmly. "None of us realized it until Barley and Eaglewood helped us. I'd always felt more alive on the full moon but never, not once until I found these guys, did I ever mentally change. That's why we stick together! We're a _pack!_"

I swallowed nervously and hugged my chest. "And…how will you know if I'm one of you?"

"You'll be communicating with us via thoughts by the end of tonight and you will keep up." He said.

"And if I don't?"

"We'll deal with it if it comes to that." Barley smiled calmly. "But, Minerva, I've never been wrong before."

I looked up at the night sky. _Oh Mother…help me…_

"Come on," he gave me a gentle push towards the woods.

The others were already sprinting away from the campfire. I hung back until Foxglove doused the flames completely then I had no choice. As she raced away from the camp I followed.

Within minutes I was feeling alive in a way I only did on a full moon. I was laughing as we leaped over fallen logs, swerved to dodge trees seconds before we splattered. They weren't kidding about the strength. Valerian leaped high enough to grab a tree branch twenty meters off the ground and swing around and throw herself off like a trapeze artist. Briar rebounded off five trees on a row and landed with ease.

We chased a lone buck through the trees, surrounding it, tackling it, but didn't kill it.

I climbed a particularly large tree with ease and jumped down, landing just a few feet ahead of Briar who had to swerve sharply to avoid me.

"You're one of us," Yarrow said in my ear at one point.

_No,_I thought sadly. _But we are similar_. Different parts of one big family.

That was when I noticed we were alone. I slowed to a leisurely jog and looked around, then back at Yarrow. "Where are the others?"

"Oh around," He slowed, too. "Sometimes we get separated, but we always come together again. We're a pack. That's how it is."

True.

We picked up speed again. Sure enough, we did merge in with Catnip, Briar, and Sage a few minutes later, and by the time the urge to transform was unbearable, the whole pack was together again.

I wasn't thinking about the consequences as I ran right through a huge patch of moonlight.

My head snapped up the moment I felt the warm light caressed my skin and I stared up at the moon, my Mother. My breath caught in my throat and I felt like I had wings. I knew my glamour was gone. My eyes were luminously yellow; I could almost see them reflected back at me on the moon.

I looked ahead the moment I was out of the moonlight and saw another illuminated area. Rationality had abandoned me the moment I felt the moon's embrace. I forgot about the ignorant, werewolf-human teenagers around me. I sped up, leaving them behind. A simple jump onto a log, pushing off and throwing myself into the moonlight, arms extended, and I changed.

It was effortless, almost subconscious. I let go of my humanity and surrendered to the call. My paws hit the ground and I kept running.

_Man, that's c__ool!_

My ears twitched.

_Wow._

_One of us, look!_

_Beautiful…_

Their thoughts sounded in my head and I gasped softly.

I slowed down so they could keep pace around me. Their eyes had a silver glow to them, like mine had on a full moon when I was younger. I suddenly felt pity for them. They _were _werewolves, just as they'd said, but were trapped in human bodies. Was it genetic or a curse? Or both?

_Cool, _chica, _cool…_ Sage patted me on the flank and smiled.

Barely and Eaglewood raced ahead, their bodies curved like they were about to go onto all fours. They stopped in a moonlit clearing and howled. It sounded unbelievably real. The others joined in, but mine was the loudest.

As we ran, I swore I saw the forms of a dark brown wolf and a sandy colored wolf running beside me.

My eyes fluttered open and I yawned, my jaws stretching wide. We were back in the campsite and I was being used as a pillow by the eleven werewolf-humans. Were-humans…homo-lupines…whatever the hell they were.

My movement caused them to stir and slowly, heads raised and yawning filled the air. I wagged my tail.

Hawthorn pushed his neon blue hair out his eyes and stared at me for a second then jumped back. "Holy shit!" he screamed. That brought the others into awareness and they realized what they'd fallen asleep on. They scrambled away, cursing, screaming, or, in several cases, snarling.

I skittered away from them, too, ears flattened, and a whine emerging from my throat.

What happened? Last night they'd been so accepting, as if my transformation had been the coolest thing ever, as if I was an honorary member of the pack. Surely they hadn't _forgotten_…?

Yarrow darted to their piles of clothes and produced a switchblade. Silver. My fur bristled at the sight and I growled automatically at the weapon. That was a bad idea. Yarrow held it up threateningly. I crouched low to the ground and shifted back.

I knelt there for a few seconds then looked up, gauging their reactions. "Can I have my clothes?" I finally asked after a minute of silence.

No one moved. If we were playing musical statues it would have been dead heat. I sighed and shifted then shifted back once I was beside my clothes. I dressed quickly then turned to face them with my hands on my hips.

"You were right. I am a Child of the Moon."

I tossed my hair over my shoulder and started to walk away.

"Wait."

I stopped and turned around slowly. "Yes, Barley?"

He regarded me warily then licked his lips once. "How did you change into a wolf?"

I smiled. "Well, since I was born a wolf, the question should be, 'how did I change into a human?' The answer is practice and will. I was born a werewolf. I've been shifting forms for most of my life. You…you are not werewolves."

"Well, then, what are we, then?"

"I don't know. I…" I sighed and sat down on the ground. I looked up at them, waiting, and after a moment, they slowly started to gather around me. "My father was murdered and my mother died giving birth to us. I wasn't raised by werewolves. I was raised by another species. I don't know everything about my people so I can't answer your questions. I wish I could but…I'm sorry."

"Ramsey, Scout, Renesmee, Seth, and Jacob?" Briar asked softly. "Are they…?"

"Yes and no," I admitted. "Rame and Scuro are but Jake and Seth aren't, but they're similar. Renesmee is something else entirely."

"Is…is…Dak? I mean, I saw you guys with him and his sister…"

"No. None of his family are wolves."

She sighed.

"Why were you scared of me?" I asked. "Last night you were fine and dandy with it."

"Ever been drunk?" Foxglove asked. I shook my head. "Well sometimes when you've been drunk you don't always remember what happened and while you were drunk you didn't always take things seriously. We get drunk on moonlight. Right now we're kind of in the hangover stage. It was like waking up in some guy's bed after a night in the club. Not," she added, "that I've ever done that."

"We've gotten moon-dunk before," I snickered. "Sash started quoting moon poetry one time when he was still a bit loony."

"Sash…" Briar murmured then her eyes widened. "Oh! He's the one you said your older sister was dating!"

"I thought you said you lost your sisters." Valerian's eyes narrowed accusingly.

"Leah's not my sister. She's my Mama."

"You said your mother was dead!"

"She is."

"I'm confused."

"Everyone's confused." Hawthorn grumbled.

I smiled. "Would you like to meet my family?"

Barley looked around at everyone then nodded. "If it could help us, yes."

"Alright, but I'm warning you, don't expect a warm welcome."

* * *

**Leah**

"Leah, Neve's back!" Rame hollered from upstairs then I heard him sliding down the old pole.

I breathed out a sigh of relief and allowed my anger to start broiling properly. She'd promised to be home before dawn and it was almost ten am.

I heard the front door open and more than one pair of feet passing over the threshold. I stood up and hurried along the hall into the entryway. Behind Neve stood eleven, slightly disheveled, teenagers with brightly colored hair. Neve smiled at me nervously, showing her pointed teeth.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened.

When the Volturi combed the city they would, without a doubt, follow Neve's scent to these kids. A tremor rocked through my body and I clenched my teeth and fists, fighting against the change triggered by rage.

"Neve. Go. Into. The living room. Now." I said between my teeth.

Neve flinched and motioned for them to follow her. Several of them scurried past me like frightened mice, especially one pink-haired girl who looked up at me like she was just waiting for me to strike at her. One girl with hair as red as an apple glared defiantly at me until I leaned forward, staring at her in the eyes. She swallowed but didn't scurry. Everyone else was already sitting in the room we'd set off as a living room when I closed the door.

"Mama…" Neve began and I stamped my foot.

"Neve, don't you even! How could you do this? I told you to—"

"But, Leah, it's not what you think!"

"Well then you'd better start explaining!" I snarled.

She stood up, glaring at me with fierce yellow eyes. "They're werewolves too!"

"Bullshit!" Rame laughed but he eyed the kids curiously.

Sash oh so subtly leaned over and sniffed them. The boy with neon blue hair recoiled away sharply.

"Hmm. They smell completely human, Neve."

"I know," Neve said. "But last night they took me to run with them! While we were running they demonstrated remarkable strength, skill, agility, and telepathy. And their irises were silver like ours used to get."

I frowned. "Did they transform?"

"No," she sighed. "They can't transform physically. It's like they go through transformation that's mostly mental with a few physical effects. Like ours except they don't go all furry and they always get full moon drunk and subsequent hangovers."

Sash chuckled. "Did anyone spout a sonnet?"

"No, big guy. You're still on your own there." Neve teased and he sighed dramatically.

"You are all...werewolves?" a boy with stone gray hair asked.

I shook my head.

He looked at Neve angrily. "I thought you said—"

"I told you I was raised by a different species." she snapped. "Leah, Jake, and Seth aren't werewolves, they're—"

"We're shape-shifters." I interrupted. "We're like werewolves in the sense that we can shift into wolves, but there are major differences you don't need to know about, kid."

The boy frowned at me. "Why don't we need to know?"

"Because you're human." I leaned towards him. "No matter what your minds may do on a full moon, you smell like humans, you look like humans, and you think like humans once the moon has set."

"They're not human."

We all jumped and I rounded on the little witch. "Use the damn door!"

Ducky frowned. "But I'm learning teleportation spells!"

"Well then teleport your butt outside the front door and knock! And, wait, how did you even know what we've been talking about."

Ducky grinned sheepishly. "I've kind of been…lurking around upstairs for the past three hours."

I put my hand on my forehead. "Duckiya…"

"Leah, give it a rest." Jacob ordered. I gritted my teeth, but I had no choice but to obey.

Ducky smiled. "_Thank you_, Jacob. Now, as I was saying, they're not human, but they're not really werewolves either."

If the sight of Duckiya appearing out of mid air had startled the strange kids, then hearing that phrase sent them into a state of shock.

"They're called Crescents." she went on in the know-it-all voice that made me want to strangle her sometimes. "Like a crescent moon."

I'd heard that name before. I knew I had. Someone had mentioned them to me once, I just couldn't place it.

"Each of them has one parent descended from two half-blooded werewolves. Their parents would've had to have stood outside every night for one complete moon cycle and basked in the light in order to transform themselves. Even if they never transformed, their children are always Crescents. You guys." she smiled warmly at them.

"Crescents," the girl with the light pink hair said, trying the name. "What does it mean?"

"It means you are, in almost every aspect of the word, human." she said regretfully. "However, basking under the light of a full moon triggers a mental change. You will never transform physically, not even if you are bitten by a werewolf, though there would be some effects…I've always wanted to see what—"

"How do you know so much?" the gray-haired boy asked suspiciously.

"I'm a witch," Ducky said simply. "It is my place to know these types of things."

The silence that followed was almost suffocating. Everyone took time to process the information they'd just received in his or her own way then mull over the meaning. And I remembered where I'd heard the term Crescent before. Nana had mentioned "unlucky souls" called Crescents, a type of werewolf. Ducky knew her stuff. If only Nana was alive…

"Well, I've got to go tell Didi!" Ducky announced cheerfully. "I can't believe it. A pack of Crescents have been here all this time…!" With a wave of her want she disappeared into thin air.

"Werewolves, shape-shifters, Crescents, witches and wizards…" the blue-haired boy muttered. "God. What's next? Vampires?"

Renesmee coughed. "Ahem."

He looked at her for a minute then, "Son of a bitch." he muttered.

"Hey!" she said defensively.

"You can't tell me that after thinking you're werewolves, that the likelihood of vampires existing never crossed your minds." Sash leaned forward seriously.

"Well, it did, but we never saw any," The girl with green hair said.

"Duh." Rame muttered.

"My dad is a cop," she snapped. "I asked him if there'd been any recent cases of bodies found drained of blood. You know, it's a big city…lots of humans dying every day. What's one more? But he said no."

"When did you ask him?" I asked.

"About a year ago."

"Well, maybe it's because of us. Or the witches… But there has been minimal vampire activity in this city since we moved in. They smell us and they run, maybe pausing to feed a bit, but they leave quickly."

"But, with her feeding, there should be _some_ bodies…right?" Indigo-hair protested in his weird accent. "Or…do vampires not completely drain humans when drinking?"

"Yes, they drain humans completely. But…not…all bloodsuckers drink human blood." I said slowly. "There are two known covens whose members have an aversion to killing humans. They drink animal blood. Renesmee's parents, for example, are members of one of those covens."

Renesmee smiled. "Besides, I'm only half-vampire."

"Half-vampire?" Red-hair asked. "How'd you swing that?"

"My mother was a human when she and Daddy met," she said. "She got pregnant and…after I was born…Daddy turned her into a vampire because it nearly killed her to give birth to me and…" she trailed off and looked down at her feet.

"It's alright, you had no control over any of that." Jacob whispered, pulling her close, then addressed the Crescents. "Well, we can't really leave you guys on your own now that we know about you. I'm Jacob Black, I'm the Alpha."

"I'm Leah Clearwater. Beta."

"Seth Clearwater."

"Sash Hunter."

"Rame."

"Scuro."

"Renesmee Cullen."

"And this is Twitch." Sash plunged his hand under the couch and produced Twitch the tabby cat, who whined in complaint.

"And Dash is…" Neve looked around and spotted the wildcat sitting on the other side of the window. "Over there."

One of the girls gasped.

The stone-gray haired boy extended his hand towards Jacob. "I'm Barley, this is my sister, Eaglewood. That's Catnip, Hawthorn, Foxglove, Briar, Mint, Sage, Valerian, Yarrow, and Paprika."

"Catnip?" Seth laughed. "Meow."

"Shut the hell up." The one called Catnip snapped at Seth.

* * *

**Alice**

"_You're sure?" Aro leans forward. _

"_Positive." The Native American vampire says curtly. "I saw her just as clear as Luna did. It was Neve alright. She tapped into the school records. We've got an address for them."_

"_Is that so?" Aro smiles. "Well done then. …Penelope, go find Luna, Afton, Felix, Louisa, Santiago, and Demarco and have them report here. You come, too, Penelope."_

"_Yes, Master." She bows then retreats from the room._

_Aro leans back in his seat and smiles._

_"Aro," Marcus says quietly from his seat. "They will know."_

"_Yes, yes, I know. I have little doubt that they do not already know." Then he smiles even wider. "Hello, Alice."_

I jerk back into the present with a gasp. Jasper has his arms around me.

Edward stands somewhere nearby, telling Carlisle what I saw.

"Call them." I whisper. "Warn them!"


	43. Encounter

*******************August 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Neve**

"Easy guys," I cautioned.

Rame and Scuro were crouched a few meters apart, lips drawn back into snarls. Scuro growled and then bounded forward. Rame met him head on. They rolled around, biting and snarling, in a wild mass of russet and black fur. I stood tensely on the sidelines, ready to step in. Even with my sharp eyes I had trouble keeping up with their movements.

As quickly as it began, it was over. Rame had Scuro pinned.

"Rame wins!" I declared. My brother threw his head back and howled victoriously while the spectators applauded.

"Well done, Rame!" Mint cheered. Rame looked embarrassed.

I rolled my eyes. Mint obviously had a thing for Rame. She didn't get that we weren't capable of feeling those kinds of emotions. Of course, neither did Yarrow. I wanted to tell him that it was a lost cause, that I didn't know _how_ to like anyone like that, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Fifteen dollars!" one of the boys hooted. They'd placed bet on who'd win.

Rame pranced around Scuro as my brother stood up and shook his fur off.

I waited for all the debts to be paid then cleared my throat. "Okay, Rame, will you demand a reward now or later?"

Rame made an 'L' in the ground with his paw. I'd figured. He was probably going to make Scuro do one of his chores.

It was Valerian's idea for us to get out and have some wolf fun before the next full moon. The Crescent pack—they'd taken on the name following our breakfast at Ihop—plus Renesmee, my brothers and I headed into in the woods a few miles from the city after school on Monday for a series of friendly fighting competitions. I put all our names into a bowl then drew out two and whosever's names I selected would have to duel. The winner of each round got a reward from the loser to be claimed at the time of victory or at some time in the near future.

"Alright. Next up is," I plunged my hand into the bowl. "Renesmee versus...let's see here…Catnip!"

Renesmee smirked and sauntered over to the "ring" and positioned herself a few meters from Catnip whose Cheshire grin was now a determined frown. The Crescent pulled her long, newly dyed orange hair into a ponytail then nodded to me.

On the sidelines the bets were quickly placed and Barley gave me a thumbs up. I blew the whistle.

Neither girl seemed to be ready to make the first move. They feinted to the sides, jerking as if they were going to charge. After a minute or so, Renesmee hissed tauntingly and jumped up. She grabbed a tree branch and swung herself around like a trapeze artist. She shoot down with her feet forward but Catnip skittered away to avoid what would have been a winning blow. The rest of their fight continued on like that, feinting, attacking, dodging, until Renesmee put on a burst of vampire-speed and grabbed Catnip's arm at the last second. She swung the Crescent around, sending her smack into a tree. Catnip crumpled to the ground and Renesmee put her foot on top of the defeated girl's back.

"Nessie wins!" I declared after three seconds.

Renesmee helped Catnip up and the Crescent girl rubbed her arm. "That hurt, you know."

"Sorry," Renesmee apologized. "Good job, though."

Catnip smiled. The Cheshire grin wasn't so creepy anymore now that I was used to it.

"OK, Nessie, when are you going to claim your reward?"

"Now." she said. "Catnip, what's your _real _name?"

Catnip's eyes widened a bit and she glanced over to Barley. The Crescent Alpha shrugged, leaving the choice up to her.

"Anne Marie." Catnip said.

"That's a pretty name." Renesmee said sincerely.

"I like Catnip better, since I love cats." she said. "Anne Marie was my grandmother's name and where I came from, Anne Marie is such a common name."

"Where are you from?"

"Small town in Vermont." she grumbled. "Alright, enough about my personal life. Can we get on with the next round?"

I drew out two more names. Foxglove and Hawthorn. They were pretty evenly matched. Foxglove was nimble and quick, but Hawthorn was strong and smart. When she ducked to avoid a blow he got a roundhouse kick into her stomach and she went down, completely winded. Apparently most of them had bet on Foxglove. Eaglewood hadn't and she was suddenly fifty dollars richer.

Hawthorn helped Foxglove up and she scowled at him. "You just killed one of my children, man!"

_What the crap? _I thought. At that point I was still totally unaware of how the human reproductive cycle worked.

He looked apologetic except for the teasing glint in his eyes. "A thousand pardons, milady. If you don't mind, I'll be claiming my reward now." And with that he leaned down and kissed her.

Wolf whistles and cat calls went up from the watching Crescents. Scuro and Rame chuckled and I giggled.

When Hawthron stepped back Foxglove gawked at him, then slapped his arm. "First you pulverize my ovaries and then you steal my first kiss? I hate you!"

"Aw c'mon, Foxy. …You know that wasn't your first kiss. Don't you remember two months ago on the full moon…?"

She gawked for a second then her cheeks turned scarlet and let out a shrill shriek as she stomped back over to the group. He followed, laughing with the rest of us. My brothers howled their amusement. Hawthorn sat next to Foxglove and put his arm around her, earning himself a slap across the cheek before she got up and moved across to the other side of Valerian.

"She's way into me." He muttered to Sage who rolled his eyes.

I rolled my eyes too, and pulled out the next names. Briar and Barley were prepared to go at it when Rame and Scuro suddenly jumped up, growls rumbling in their throats. The growling turned to snarling rapidly and their eyes fixed on something behind me. I spun around and scanned the forest quickly.

A cluster of cloaked figures were moving towards us with a speed and grace unattainable by any but vampires. Vampires in…dark cloaks… I gasped. Renesmee inhaled sharply.

"Are they...are they members of the…" I couldn't bring myself to say the world _Volturi._

She nodded and cold terror descended on me.

How? How had they found us? We were out of the city and we drove here in a van. Then it hit me. They'd been hunting for us. My brothers' howling must have led them straight here. There was no way we were going to get out of there without a fight. I snarled, baring my teeth, but I didn't transform.

"Who are they?" Valerian asked nervously. The Crescents had spotted the oncoming threat.

"They're members of the Volturi guard." Renesmee told her and I could practically _feel_ the fear that flowed from them. We'd told them all about the Volturi.

Renesmee held up her hands in a gesture that reminded me of Carlisle. "Hello!"

The vampires stopped a few yards off. I backed away from Renesmee, putting myself between the vampires and the practically defenseless Crescents; Rame and Scuro flanked me.

"Do you remember me?" Renesmee asked, her voice steady and calm. "I'm Renesmee Cullen."

"Renesmee Cullen." One of the vampires lowered his hood. He was big like Emmett. His eyes were blood red and his smile was charming, polite. "My, my, my you have turned into a beautiful young woman. Just like your mother."

Renesmee smiled politely. "Thank you, Felix. I wish I could return the compliments but you haven't changed a bit since we met. What brings you to the west coast?"

Felix's smile vanished. "Children of the Moon have been reported in the area."

"Oh? You mean werewolves? I thought we explained that." She put her hands on her hips. "They're only shape-shifters."

Felix sighed. "Don't play dumb, Renesmee. It doesn't suit you. You know what's standing right there." He nodded to us.

"Shape-shifters, as I said." Renesmee said evenly. "You know of our friendship with them."

Felix arched one eyebrow then raised a white finger and pointed at me. "And that yellow-eyed one? She's not an animal-feeding vampire—she has a heartbeat. I know your shape-shifter friends do not have yellow eyes."

I growled. Stupid eyes. Of course they'd be yellow _now,_ when I'm confronted with enemy vampires.

"And now we have the matter of your human companions back there. Do not lie and say they don't know the secrets." As he spoke the others began to lower their hoods. Three females and four males stood menacingly before us. There was one, a young female with copper-ish skin and long black hair, that looked vary familiar, but I didn't recall ever seeing her when Renesmee had shown me the faces of each Volturi member.

"They're not human." Renesmee said quickly.

"I can smell them." Felix sighed. "Renesmee, I admire your loyalty, but enough. I'm giving you the chance to run now. Just run, don't look back and we won't kill you."

Renesmee swallowed. "Thanks for the offer…" she slid forward into a crouch. "But I'm not leaving my family behind. If you want them you have to go through me."

Felix sighed. "So be it." His polite demeanor vanished with his words. "Kill them." He bared his teeth out a snarl and launched himself at her. She sprang up and met him with a fierce snarl own.

"Run!" I screamed to the Crescents then leapt forward, phasing on the fly. Did they listen? Nope.

The six Guard members flew at us, meeting my brothers.

I tackled a female with blonde hair and we rolled around, trying to get our teeth into each other. I felt a bit dizzy every time I nearly bit her. Dimly I wondered if that was the skill she had that made the Volturi want her. Renesmee came out of no where and grabbed the vampire's blonde hair, yanking her head back. Exposing her throat. I sank my teeth into her stony flesh and ripped her head clean off. I dropped her then sprang over to help Rame finish off the dark-skinned vampire.

Felix was a pile of limbs a few feet away.

Three down, four to go.

"You're losing!" Renesmee hissed tauntingly at the copper-skinned vampire.

She snarled at her but called out, "Fall back!" Just like that the other three surviving vampires took off running.

"No matter where you run, we'll find you!" The copper-skinned girl spat. "You'll all die for this."

"Get the fuck out of here, bitch!" Hawthorn lunged at her. She hissed but took off running.

We watched her go then Renesmee picked up a rock and hurled it at nothing. "Damn!"

"What the?"

Renesmee's face was enraged. "Quick, burn them before they can regenerate!"

Within moments the three vampires were nothing but kindling for the flames. Sage clicked his lighter shut and put it back in his pocket.

I scanned the forest with my eyes, taking in every inch I could see. That was too easy.

"Are you alright?" Barley murmured.

"I'm fine," Eaglewood replied. She must've helped in the fray. "It's just a sprain."

No one was really hurt and we'd killed three members of the Volturi guard, the best of the best. That was too easy. Way too easy. They were _hunting_ us! They _knew_ that physically we were stronger than them. They should've sent more to exterminate us unless…

_They wanted us to kill them_, I thought to my brothers.

_What? _Rame looked up.

_Rame, Scuro, they _wanted_ us to kill some of them! Now the Volturi has a legitimate excuse to come after us. We killed some of their guard! _

Scuro cursed.

I looked out despairingly into the forest and a movement in the trees caught my eye. A girl emerged from behind a tree, a cloak draped over her frame. Her long silvery hair flowed down her back and her eyes were a luminous yellow. For a moment I thought a vegetarian vampire had joined the Volturi, then I saw the flush in her cheeks.

My mouth fell open. _Oh my God. It's…it's Luna!_

_Luna?_ Scuro spun around with a bark, causing the others to look up.

_Luna!_ Rame gave a little skip and his tail started to wag.

I ran towards her and phased back halfway there. It was Luna! My sister! She was alive! I was too happy to wonder why she'd shown up at the same time the Volturi had. Or why she was in a cloak. Or why her expression was anything but friendly. "Luna!" I shouted excitedly. "Luna!"

Her face twisted into a snarl and she let the cloak slip from her shoulders like a Jedi going into battle. I slowed to a stop about a hundred yards away from her.

"Luna? It's me, Neve!"

"I know." She said coldly. She'd really changed. She was older like us, her voice like an adult's, and hard. Very hard. She'd never _ever_ sounded so hateful than she had in that moment. A sharp silvery scar that hadn't been therefore before ran across her cheek.

"…Luna? What—?"

She phased before I could finish and sprang at me. I transformed too, and met her head on. We rolled around in a frantic tussle. I didn't want to her hurt her but she seemed to have no problem with sinking her teeth into my flesh and fur.

_Luna! Stop! _

_Get off her!_ Scuro threw himself into our fight and sank his teeth into Luna's scruff, pulling her off me. She snarled, lashing out with her paws, catching my side. Rame arrived then and joined the attack relentlessly. Was I the only one who remembered that she was our kin?

Miraculously, Luna managed to get herself free. She backed away, blood dripping from her wounds, her lips drawn back in a vicious snarl. _Go, run! Go curl up and hide! Enjoy the time you have left because in one month you will all die! _

_Get out of here!_ Rame swiped at her. _Traitor!_

Luna snagged her cloak with her teeth then raced away, her tail curled. We watched her flee until she vanished then I threw my head back and howled mournfully.

_Luna, Luna, Luna…what has the world done to you?_

* * *

When we got home, we found the house in a state of uproar. Apparently, Alice had called while we were at school and, since we hadn't come home, we had no way of knowing. When we told Leah that some of the Volturi had attacked us, she went ballistic, phasing right then and there. She stormed away, snarling like a fiend.

Sash told us to pack and then went out to make sure the vehicles were in good order. Seth was trying to round up the pets and then called the witches. Jacob was on the phone with Sam in La Push.

The Crescents were leaving with us, too. They weren't even going home to say goodbye. Too dangerous. We had to disappear tonight. All of us. Some of them weren't taking it that well.

Barley and Leah were in each others faces.

"We don't have to go!" he snarled at her.

"No you don't!" she agreed, baring her teeth. "But if you want to live you'd better get your asses into the kitchen, pack food, and get it into your van! Because when they come back they will search this city. They will find you and _kill _you and they will kill your families. Do you want that blood on your hands?"

Barley was silent.

"Didn't think so. Now get into the damn kitchen and get to work! NOW!"

Leah was just plain frightening sometimes.

I was throwing clothes into my suitcase, plus a few books, my iPod, and a few other items I couldn't bring myself to part with.

A dark hand touched my arm. I jumped in shock but I recognized the color.

"Here." Ducky handed me a vial. "Drink this. It will make you completely scentless for the next twelve hours."

I uncorked the tiny bottle anyway and quickly swallowed the clear contents. Then she hurried out of my room.

In the kitchen, Dhart was levitating food with her brown wand and making it fly into a small box I'd never seen before. "It's a Port-o-Pantry." She explained when she caught me looking.

I figured I'd find out more later.

"Oh, Neve." Leah saw me passing in the hall and handed me a waste basket. "Make the Crescents give you their cell phones, iPods, everything they have with microchips."

I nodded and eventually managed to take possession of all their traceable gadgets, though not without a huge amount of protest from each and every one of them.

"When we get to La Push all of you are getting your hair dyed back to normal." Jacob announced to them. They all protested. "Look, I talked to Sam. He agreed the best way to make you all blend is with normal hair. Do you want to die?"

Death. That's what made them agree to every crazy thing we were forcing them to do. If they didn't want to die they had to listen and act on the instructions given.

I couldn't complain when I had to give Leah my iPod and cell phone. I watched as she cleared the memory on each one and removed the SIM and memory cards. She then burned every last one of them. Smart.

"You need to go." Didinyla told Leah. "We will escort you out of the city then we must leave you. We will stay behind and work out the issues with the kids' school, get your stuff safely stored, and Dan will keep an eye on the runaway reports so your Crescents are not found."

"I understand." Leah said. "Thank you. We can never repay you for this."

Didi put her hand on Leah's cheek. "You don't have to, _filla_. We told you. Helping you is an honor." She gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Good luck."

I would miss the old firehouse that we'd turned into a home and I hoped we could come back one day. But there were no tears shed. This place, however cool, wasn't Forks or Alaska. We hadn't left anyone's spirit behind here.

I couldn't see them thanks to the glamours but I could sense them flying around us like the secret service on magical, wheel-less skateboards.

"_Brooms are so two centuries ago. Hover boards are the way to travel now." _

I was going to miss Ducky.

* * *

The staff at the McDonalds in Redding, California looked less than impressed when they saw nineteen of us walking though their doors at midnight. All of the Crescents had hoods and hats on to hide their hair. When the runaway reports went out the brightly colored hair would be a dead giveaway.

I actually felt bad for the fast food workers. And envious. The teenage girl who took our monstrous order was probably never going to face anything like what we were going to. She looked a bit nervous as she stammered out the total for our order, as if she expected one of the strange, monstrous customers to lunge at her. Instead Leah smiled and handed her a series of twenties.

Hey, what can I say? We eat a lot. Plus we had two hungry animals in the car.

It took a good half hour for all of us to get everything we ordered. Then we hit the road, wolfing down our food like hungry, well, wolves. I finally lost consciousness at about 1:30am and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

When I woke up we were in Oregon.

We pulled over to switch out drivers and I climbed into the van with the Crescents. Most of them seemed pretty lethargic but the thought that they were runaways had created an excited buzz in the air. And they were curious about their temporary home on the Olympic Peninsula.

"What's it like?" Yarrow asked me.

"Kinda chilly, especially this time of year." I said. "Very cloudy and rainy. Good luck getting a tan."

Yarrow frowned. "Nice."

"You don't like gloomy weather?"

"I come from the Louisiana bayous, Neve." He looked at me seriously. "Hot, humid, and wet most of the time."

"Well then this should be a—wait, Louisiana?" I made a face. "What's with the accent, then? And how'd you end up in California?"

"Cajun on both sides," he said. "And we took an airplane."

"You know what I mean."

"I ended up in The Golden State the same way that Foxy, Cat, Val, and Hawthorn did. We felt a…calling to come here."

"If you felt it then others did, too." I said. "There could be _dozens_ of Crescents in San Francisco!"

"Yes," he nodded.

"There could've been others in the school, too!"

"I didn't sense anyone else." Barley said. "But there probably could've been others at the junior high and elementary school."

I swallowed.

"But you heard Ducky. Most of them don't know what they are because they haven't run under the full moon's light. Don't worry, _cher_, the Volturi won't find them."

I nodded, only a little comforted. "Hey, Foxy?"

Foxglove raised her head. Despite her little tantrum yesterday, she'd been using Hawthorn's leg as a pillow. She blinked at me.

"Where did you come from?"

"Ohio."

"I came from Nebraska." Hawthorn added before I could ask.

"Val?"

"Michigan."

"How'd you guys get to San Francisco, then? I mean that's the Midwest! Yeah, yeah, I know, you felt a mystical pull and probably took an airplane. But_ how_ did you get your families to uproot their lives and move clear across the country?"

Hawthorn smiled. "Barley, Eaglewood, Yarrow, and Sage were already a pack when I was sixteen. I felt a…calling in my, well, in my soul. I had to go to California, that's all I knew. I tried to runaway, without success, and then I admitted to Mom what I was feeling and she decided we could move to California. She's a writer and her publishing company is in LA so it wasn't that big of a problem."

"Me, too," Valerian said. "But my parents weren't so easily convinced, but after I ran away three times they finally decided it was better for us just to move. I…I've wanted to tell them so many times why I was called to California. They'll probably think I felt another calling and that when I'm found we'll be moving." She shrugged. "At least they're safe."

"Our house got destroyed in Katrina." Yarrow said matter-of-factly. "I was in middle school at the time and Barley and Eaglewood had just figured out what they were. It was about the time Sage joined up that I started feeling the pull. My…my _mére_, _pére_, and _o__ncle_ died in the hurricane and my _tante _was only too happy to go back to where she grew up. I hated to leave but…the _need_ to go to California was so much stronger than the need to stay behind and rebuild."

Foxy was the only one left. I looked at her expectantly. She seemed to feel my gaze and her eyes opened again.

"I felt the pull. Mom and Dad wouldn't move. I moved in with my human grandparents. The end."

I raised an eyebrow. She closed her eyes and snuggled her face into his leg. Hawthorn grinned at Sage smugly. Sage rolled his eyes.

We got to La Push around 4:30 in the afternoon and unloaded at Emily's. Within five minutes the entire pack had assembled to welcome us. Jacob and Seth got pulled into a dog pile hug and Leah, though she tried to escape, got yanked in, too. Sash hung back with the rest of us. Then two little toddlers came out of the house, giggling and laughing.

"Oh my goodness!" I squealed. Harry and Tala!

Next to run from the house, screaming "Uncle Jake!" was Claire. She latched onto Jacob's leg with her chubby little eight-year-old arms and didn't let go.

"Neve?" Emily asked incredulously when she saw me.

I smiled and waved. "Yeah, it's me."

She walked over and pulled me into a hug. "Oh it's so good to see you! You look so beautiful!" she hugged the boys. "And you two are so handsome now! I can't believe you're only four years old!"

I smiled. "We grew up fast, Em."

"I hope mine don't grow up as fast." Emily looked proudly at her children who were getting lavish attention from Seth.

* * *

Apparently, the Crescents weren't going to be staying in the same house. Each of the pack members had arranged for one or two to stay in their homes. We were all meeting at Emily's for dinner at seven. I was going to volunteer my services in the kitchen, but Yarrow asked me for a tour of La Push while the others started the hair-dyeing process.

My visits to the reservation weren't really enough for a proper tour, but at least I could point out the basics. The houses where the shape-shifters lived, the cliffs, the beach, the stores…

"Hey, Neve." Yarrow asked as we were walking along the beach. "Why did Emily say you were only four years old?"

I winced. Oh boy. "Because…I'm four."

He stared blankly.

"I'm only four years old." I said more firmly. "I was born in 2008."

"You're only _four_?" he whispered.

I smiled. "Weird, huh? I don't look, sound, think, or act like a little kid, but when it comes down to years, I'm a toddler."

He looked nonplussed then muttered something in his language. I doubted the English translation was very four-year-old friendly.

"I guess I should've mentioned this earlier." I said, somewhat nervously. "Before you got a crush on me."

His cheeks turned red.

"And about that…I guess I should just tell you…I don't feel anything for you. …No, no, it's not what you think! I like you…but only as a friend because I _can't_ feel any other way. I don't know _how_ to fall in love. It's just…not possible for me. I'm not attracted to anybody. No movie stars…nothing. My hormones aren't active yet. I don't know when they will be. It could be years."

"Oh…" he looked downcast.

"I'm sorry, Yarrow." I said.

"Eloi."

"What?"

"My real name is Eloi."

I pursed my lips and smiled. "I'm not gonna lie, that's a little weird."

"Your name is Neve." He pointed out.

"Touché."

* * *

**Leah**

We were back with the leeches again.

It'd been so long that their stench was nearly overpowering. My nose burned and the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. I nearly gagged. Rosalie wasn't letting me get away with that.

"Oh God. Which one of you just took a bath?" she plugged her nose.

I flipped her off.

Renesmee ran straight to her parents who went straight into the "oh, you've grown so much!" conversation with her.

Alice hugged me then looked at Sash. "Sash, Penny is alive."

Sash stared at her for a moment then his legs sagged and he hit the ground hard. Everyone stared. "She…she's…she's…alive?"

Alice nodded. "You'd better stay down there for the next part of this particular revelation. She's a member of the Volturi guard."

Sash stared uncomprehendingly for a moment then he lost consciousness and slumped to the floor.

I gawked at him and put my hand on my forehead. "Alice, you couldn't have broken it to him easier?"

She shook her head. "No, he needs to know now what any decision he makes will mean." She sighed. "Well, someone wake him up and bring him into the living room."

The Cullens were residing outside of Fortine, Montana. Nice house, just big enough for them, which meant we were all crammed into the living room. A small residence was so unlike them, but the need to be inconspicuous must have influenced their real estate options.

Sash came-to on the couch and the first thing he did was demand, "How the fuck did she end up with the Volturi?"

"I think it's obvious," Neve said bitterly from the loveseat. "When they burnt down your house they took Penny with them and instead of eating her they changed her."

"But why her?" he put his head in his hands. "Why did they pick her?"

"You've got me." she tossed her hair over her shoulder and stared down at the floor. She'd been grumpy ever since we left La Push.

"We need to decide what we're going to do." Carlisle said. "You killed Felix and, from the way you described them, Afton, and Louisa."

"What was Louisa's power?" Neve asked curiously.

"She can project an illusion of vertigo." Edward said.

Neve nodded. "No wonder." She said, almost to herself.

"The Volturi do not tolerate this kind of thing." Carlisle went on as if she hadn't interrupted. "Renesmee, you're one of us. They'll hold us accountable for your actions. Even if they didn't, we're sheltering werewolves again. They'll kill us for sure."

"Alice, do you know when they'll come?" Jacob leaned towards the pixie-like vampire.

She nodded. "We have a month, just like last time."

"So long?" Esme murmured.

"They must know we won't go down easy." Emmett said. "They're probably going to get followers again."

"Which means we need to, too." Jasper said. "Everyone we can from last time and more, if possible."

"Jasper, they won't all help." Rame said glumly. "Last time they were protecting Renesmee and were ready to defend their freedom. This time they'll have to defend us, their mortal enemies."

"He's right," Jacob growled. "You won't get so much support."

"The witches will help." Seth said. "And Sam's pack."

"The Crescents will too." Neve added. "There are others in San Francisco…we can find them as well."

"And other shape-shifters."

While they all threw out ideas I found myself thinking back on the months we spent in Alaska. And the spirit werewolves who I hadn't thought of in so long. Fango, Noami, Kalli, Allo, Amari, and Alba, now, too. They couldn't aid us physically but maybe there was something else.

_Leah. _I heard Nomai's rich voice whisper in my ears. _My people need to sing at the Lake again. _

The lake?

The lake….

Oh, the Lake where the werewolves used to gather to sing to the moon. That lake where I spoke to Noami when we were first arriving in—

"Alaska." Seth's voice jerked me into the present and cut off what Jasper had been saying.

"What?" I asked. Had he read my mind?

"The werewolves…Alaska…beyond the farthest Northern range…" he said slowly then trailed off, looking almost confused.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jacob said.

"It…" Seth trailed off and looked at me for help.

"We have to go back to Alaska." I said, suddenly sure of what he was trying to say. "There's a pack of werewolves in northern Alaska. It's where their mother and father grew up." I pointed at Neve, Scuro, and Rame. "They've been hiding up there for a century, maybe longer. If we tell them that there's a chance to _end_ their extermination once and for all…don't you think it's likely that they'll pounce on the opportunity?"

It was quiet for a moment.

"Let's go." Emmett said eagerly.

"Alaska." Esme murmured.

"Uncle Tilo!" Neve burst out suddenly and looked at her brothers and Renesmee. "Remember the dream where we met Tilo?"

I remembered that night vividly and I shivered.

"He lives in that pack! Our family is there! Of course they'll help us!"

"We're going to take down the Volturi?" Bella asked and looked at Edward. "I don't like them, but what did you tell me and Jake in the forest about them? Weren't your words '_They are the foundation of our peace and civilization'_? What will happen without the Volturi around to keep everyone in check?"

"Let's not worry about that at the moment, eh, Bella?" I asked icily. "'Cause right now, I honestly I don't care if the vampire government crumbles. Let's just…get to Alaska and recruit the werewolves. We'll worry about keeping world peace when it's over."

Bella scowled and I glared right back at her.

Carlisle moved in between us. "Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rose, Edward, Bella, get in contact everyone from before. Find nomads, shape-shifters, anyone you can, and tell them what we're doing. If they'll come, send them to the house in Alaska. Esme, Nessie, can you go to the house and get it ready?"

"What are you going to do?" Esme asked.

"I'll go with the wolves to the pack in the North so I can talk to them."

"I'll call Sam." Jacob said.

"I'll call the airlines."

* * *

"Seth, how do you know where the pack is?" I asked him later when no one was paying attention to us.

"I—I…I dreamt it." he said.

"You dreamt it?"

He nodded.

"What else have you dreamt?"

"Our brother's going to die."

"We don't have a brother, Seth."

"I know."

And for the first time in a while, Seth Clearwater looked scared.


	44. The Village

*******************August 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

**Also, the next few chapters will have _tipc _use of the werewolf language so in order to understand you'll need my translator, the link to it can be found on my profile. Again, many thinks to Kazz and her badass computer skillz! **

* * *

**Renesmee**

It's been a week and I'm worried. We haven't heard anything from the wolves and Carlisle since they left to go North. They should have called by now, or something.

Already, though, people are standing ready to defend the werewolves. The witch clan came the moment they were called. The Crescents wait eagerly in La Push with the pack counting the seconds until they are summoned back. Barley, Eaglewood, Dak, and Jared are in San Francisco looking for other Crescents who have found their way to the Golden State and were wondering why the elusive pull was suddenly calling them North. Last I heard they found two other active Crescents, twin sisters, and an inactive one.

Peter and Charlotte returned and so have the Amazonians. They can't believe how grownup I look after just five short years. Other nomads have come, too. I remember some of them from the crowd of witnesses the Volturi gathered against me. Charles and Makenna, I remember, because they didn't want me to die.

Another female nomad wandered in this morning saying, "I heard through the grapevine that you're challenging the Volturi _again_."

"We're not _challenging_ them." Esme corrected her. "They're challenging us. We're just defending our own."

"Still," she tossed her dark brown hair over her shoulder. "You're going against them again and, well, I don't want to miss it this time."

* * *

_One week earlier_

**Leah**

_I can smell werewolves, Mama!_ Neve gasped._ We're getting close. Oh my god…we're about to meet our own kind!_

_Hey, what am I, then?_ Sash protested.

_Do you think our grandparents are here?_ Rame wondered, ignoring him. _Or our aunts and uncles… maybe we have cousins!_

It goes without saying that the kids were thrilled about the prospect of meeting their real families. I, however, was nervous. These were real, wild-raised werewolves. Would they even speak English? Would they welcome us? Would they try to kill Carlisle?

"Keep alert," Carlisle ordered. "They could come from anywhere."

_We know, _Jacob nodded to Carlisle.

_You know, it's kind of risky just barging into their territory._ I pointed out._ I'd like to not get on their bad side right away._

_Perhaps we should…howl. _Sash thought. _So they know we're here and what we are. Then let them come find us._

_Good idea. _I said. We slowed to a stop. Carlisle waited unusually anxious a few feet away, looking around. _On the count of three—one…two…three!_

We threw our heads back and howled as loudly as we could for several minutes. Then we fell silent.

_And now we wait._ Sam said.

"I take it that you plan to let them come to us?" Carlisle deduced.

Jacob nodded.

It didn't take long for us to hear the sounds of approaching wolves. It sounded like they had sent a small army out to investigate. Carlisle stood in between Jake and me, watching the forest as intently as we were. Neve, Rame, and Scuro were panting with anticipation. I dug my claws into the ground and kept my head high.

Then…we saw them.

And I couldn't help but gasp.

I could become poetic and describe how amazing it was to watch a dozen fully grown werewolves racing towards us through the snow and trees, but for the sake of my dignity, I won't. Just believe me when I say it was something else.

One of them was white with black splotches like stains across his pelt, another one had fur the color of honey; a solid black wolf with a patch of white between his eyes, one the color of wet stone, one with snow white fur, and several others. Tall as us, muscular, and very fast, they plowed through the snow towards our group. I read the shock on their faces as they saw us. I could only imagine what they were thinking.

_Sit down, _Sam ordered, but the command was weightless on me. I sat down anyway.

Carlisle remained standing, his hand on Jacob's shoulder. I was glad he had golden eyes. Maybe they wouldn't identify him before we could get a word in.

The werewolves surrounded us completely and we waited. They seemed to be sizing us up. One of them growled softly at Carlisle, but a louder growl shut the first wolf up.

_Lce yba oei? _An unfamiliar male voice filtered into my mind and the black-splotched white wolf took a step forward. I glanced at Jacob. _...We oei nsayg hca Jyfriyra?_

_No comprende, senior. _Seth thought and the werewolves glanced at each other nervously. Clearly they weren't fluent in Spanish.

_Um…do you speak English?_ I asked hopefully.

_Ah…English._ His voice had a strange, almost English accent, but not quite. I'd never heard anything like it. _Who are you?_

_My name is Sam Uley._ Sam stood up. _I'm the Alpha male of the shape-shifters of the Quileute tribe in La Push, Washington. _

_I'm another Alpha._ Jacob said. _My name is Jacob. I lead a smaller pack that broke off from the main pack a while ago. This is my Beta, Leah._ He flicked his tail at me and I dipped my head. _That's her little brother, Seth. And this is her mate, Sash, and her adopted pups, Neve, Rame, and Scuro._

A murmur went through the werewolves and several of them bristled. The black and white wolf's mouth fell open in shock. He looked directly at me then at the kids and Sash.

_Welcome. My name is Tamat_. He said once he regained his composure. _We've…we've been expecting you._

_You've been expecting us_? Sam stood up. _How did you know we were coming?_

_Our Mother sees everything happening to her children_.

_Noami is our mother! _Neve blurted out, jumping forward. _Did you know her?_

Tamat stared at Neve then he nodded. _Yes. Everyone knew her. She was very beautiful. I was…greatly saddened to hear of her death. Please, all of you come with us. You've come a long way. You must be tired. _

_Thank you, _Sam said.

_You might want to have your vampire friend ride on your back. _Tamat added. _He won't be able to keep up. _

We shape-shifters were barely able to keep up with the speedy werewolves. Sash hung back to run beside me but the kids raced ahead with the other werewolves. They were happy.

We ran another ten to twenty miles through the mountains and trees before I began to hear signs of life. Voices too faint and jumbled to understand…most probably weren't even English. That's when I began to feel excited. But before we reached the…whatever it was they were taking us to, Tamat and the others slowed down, except for the wet-stone-gray wolf who kept running.

_Do you have clothes to wear in your human forms? _Tamat asked.

_Yes, _I said. _Carlisle has them in the bag._

_Then please transform back now and put them on. It will be easier to have you speaking with your mouths and not your minds once we're inside the village. And it will keep the others calm. You may share our ancestors but you are still strangers._

We did as we were told, changing behind trees and emerging wearing short-sleeve shirts, pants, and boots. Neve was bouncing with excitement. When I came back out I was startled to see all the werewolves were human formed, clad in loose clothes of animal skins and furs. It was almost sad to see how cut off they were from the rest of the world.

"Those cannot be comfortable." Tamat's voice came from a stocky, Asian-looking man with long dark hair. "When we get to the village and you are settled we will get you better clothing."

I wanted to tell him that what we were wearing was fine but I kept my mouth shut. Maybe dressing like them would ease the nerves that I was sure would be high. Besides, at least he was being hospitable. I'll admit that I had been expecting them to promptly kick us out, even though this was my idea and I was supposed to be very optimistic about it.

"Come, brothers and sisters, and vampire." He beckoned and, still surrounded by the patrol, we walked the last few miles. He'd called us his brothers and sisters even though Sam, Jacob, Seth, and I weren't werewolves. It made me…happy.

We walked up a hill and I knew without asking that the village was just beyond. My heart pounded in my chest.

"Welcome to _Nadja, _the last werewolf village." Tamat gestured to the valley below.

My eyes flicked around as I took in the vast village. Everywhere were huts made of wood, stone, and animal skins. A large hut made of wood stood proudly in the center, surrounded by a few smaller ones. The warm bodies had melted the snow on the ground and countless feet had worn away most of the grass, leaving behind a dirt roads. Aromas wafted around us—cooking food, the scents of the wolves, and other things I couldn't pinpoint. I heard laughter, shouting, talking. And everywhere…were werewolves. A few were in wolf form but most were human-formed. I could see every natural hair color possible in every shade possible, some in odd combinations. I saw one young woman with red, blonde-streaked hair and another with raven hair and blonde streaks. I saw every skin color, every shade. I could see eyes of every shade of gray, black, blue, green, yellow, and even a few purple eyes. And best of all, I saw some younger werewolves in their early to late teens, plus two very young werewolf children skipping around near the tallest building in the center of the village.

_Do you see, Noami? There are new werewolf children. _I thought. _Your people are fighting back._

"Some of them are related to me…aren't they?" Neve whispered to me.

I nodded. There had to be a good five-hundred werewolves down there. Chances are one of them was related to Neve.

Tamat lead us down into the village. We quickly attracted the attention of the entire population and I knew I had hundreds of eyes watching my every step. So I smiled, keeping my chin high, and laced my fingers through Sash's. I heard uneasy mutterings in the crowd. I heard the word vampire shot from person to person.

We were heading for the wooden hut at the center of the valley. "For some reason," I muttered to Sash. "I think that's the Alpha's home."

"Whatever gave you that idea?" he teased.

It was the Alpha's home. We were lead inside the wooden hut and a pretty werewolf girl laid down small pats of animal fur for us to sit on. Outside, it sounded like the werewolves were being shooed away. I looked around the hut in wonder. It was very…homey. A large seat covered in animal fur sat by the far wall and there were a few other rooms separated by curtains. The curtain that served as the door to the outside opened and I turned to see who'd come in.

The weregirl froze.

She was slender but muscular; fair skinned, and had waist-length strawberry blonde hair, some of it was twisted into small braids scattered randomly throughout her hair, the rest hung loose. Her eyes were cobalt blue. They widened in shock and her hand flew to her mouth as she skittered back, flattening herself against the wall of the den. She had on an animal skin dress and animal-skin pants underneath. Around her right arm was a black circle, just like the other werewolves had. The girl's eyes flicked towards the door and she started to edge toward it.

"Are you alright?" Neve asked. The girl stared then her eyes flicked to something behind us.

"Welcome!" A middle-aged man emerged from one of the rooms, speaking in the accent I figured all werewolves had. He, too, wore skins like the werewolves, but an elaborate pendant around his neck betrayed his rank. His hair was shorter than most that I'd seen so far, a rich chocolate brown, which extended down to his mustache and beard.

"Lord Arlin?" I guessed.

He smiled. "Correct. Welcome. I say, what is wrong?" he looked over our heads at the girl against the wall.

The girl barked out something rapidly in the werewolf language, her eyes flicking down to us for a moment, then back to him. Lord Arlin gave her a long look.

"_Sjayna?" _she whispered.

He nodded once then smiled at us again. "I apologize. You startled her. This is my granddaughter, Dawne. Celbra told her in a dream we were receiving important visitors. Dawne, come here and sit down, for Celbra's sake!"

Dawne skittered past us like we were vipers and sat down beside the chair which Alrin sat in. The two of them did look somewhat alike. For one thing, they had the same blue eyes.

I knew something was up. For one, Dawne hadn't been _startled._ She'd been terrified the moment she laid eyes on us.

A moment later, a woman with honey-colored hair burst into the den with a young man. "_Nebbo_, _la laba cifhufr." _

The young man gazed incredulously as he walked past us, taking a seat beside Dawn. The woman sat down in the seat with Arlin who kissed her cheek lightly. "This is my mate, Carletta, and my son, Rayer."

"Is he your father?" I asked Dawne.

Dawne nodded. "Yes."

Rayer flashed Dawne a look so quickly that I nearly missed it. Carletta asked Arlin a question and he responded evenly. I frowned. I didn't like not being able to understand them, especially when I _knew_ they were talking about me. Yes, something was definitely up. I glanced at Jacob and I could tell from his face that he knew it, too.

"What are your names?" Arlin asked. "Starting with you, vampire."

"I'm Carlisle Cullen." Carlisle extended his hand and Arlin shook it. "I promise not to hurt any of your people while I am here."

"Good." He smiled.

"I'm Jacob Black."

"Sam Uley."

"Seth Clearwater."

"Leah Clearwater."

"Sash Hunter."

"I'm Neve."

"Rame."

"Yeah, I'm Scuro."

The Alpha female's eyes lingered on me. "I have heard of you in my dreams, Leah. The ancestors speak of you. Some call you…Kemli. It means 'One who is a strong and brave warrior.'"

I smiled nervously. "Noami gave me that name."

Carletta's lip quivered and a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Noami…_she_ gave you that name?"

"Were you her friend?" I asked.

"No." Carletta smiled and wiped the tear away. "I am her mother."

My eyes widened. It took a few seconds for it to sink in with everyone. If…if Noami was the daughter of the _Alphas_, then that made her kids…

"Grandma?" Rame whispered.

Carletta smiled. "And you would be three of the little ones she gave birth to. I thank you, Leah, for caring for my grandchildren. Seth, I thank you for finding them."

Seth smiled.

"Hey, that means we're cousins." Scuro smiled at Dawne who smiled back shyly.

Arlin leaned forward. "You obviously did not come here for a visit. So, why have you come? Do not be afraid to speak any words." He gestured towards the children, "These are my flesh and blood and I will aid them in any way I can."

I looked at Jacob to see if he wanted to talk but he motioned for me to go ahead. So I told them everything. Finding them, our final months in Forks, how we'd moved to Alaska, my dreams, meeting Sash, their Elemental abilities, losing Alba to the snow, Luna's betrayal, Sash becoming a werewolf, the fire, moving to California, the Crescents, the Volturi, and how we decided to fight back.

When I was done, Carletta and Dawne looked horrified, Rayer looked murderous, and Arlin simply looked…troubled. "This will mean all-out war. I must have time to speak to our counsel."

"You have a counsel? I thought it the Alpha's word is law." Sam frowned.

"Oh it is." Arlin smiled. "But with the changing times, our people sought democracy just as humans did. We now have a counsel that helps me in my decisions, my word is still law, but I can please more of my pack when I have multiple inputs."

"Smart plan," I said, shooting Jacob a dark look.

"We can have temporary places made for you by tonight." Carletta said. "Two to each den due to size, I think. And Carlisle, I assume you need no where to rest."

Carlisle smiled. "No, but if I may, I would like to come with you as you address the counsel."

Arlin nodded. "Very well. …Dawne, you will be responsible for Neve." He pointed to Neve. "Rayer, you find younger wolves to escort Rame and Scuro. We'll find others to escort the rest of you."

"Escort us where?" Seth asked.

"Around the village and such. You can't wander alone." Arlin said. "Plus, I doubt any of you are fluent in our language. You need translators. We'll get you new clothes, too. You don't need to wear those stinking garments while you're here."

"_Peta,_"Dawne jumped up, grabbed Neve by the hand, and pulled her out of the den.

* * *

**Neve**

"Interesting fashion sense you guys have." I said.

I'm not quite sure to this day what kind of animal skin I was given to wear, but it was soft. Knee-length pants under a simple dress, just like Dawne's.

Dawne herself was a mystery. She seemed thrilled to have me around, but at the same time, she seemed distant. Wary. Something about her was hauntingly familiar. Maybe it was her eyes. She had the same eyes Alba did. I guess it was expected, given that we were kin.

Dawne lead me through the village, pointing out dens and shops. They had their own economic system going on. They were traders, for the most part, but she said that if someone needed food then they got it even if they couldn't trade. However, things like jewelry, and clothes besides the necessary basics had to be traded for. For instance, I could go hunt a deer and trade some meat for an outfit, a brush, or a different type of food. The word 'money' was practically foreign to them.

Being directly descended from the Alphas, Dawne and I could get anything free. Word spread quickly and it wasn't long before I was being approached by werewolves asking me what the human world was like nowadays. One man was so old that the word 'picture' meant a painting by an artist, not a moment of time captured by a camera.

After a while, Dawne seemed to sense I was getting anxious and she guided me out of the crowds and out of the village altogether, out to the woods.

"Wow," I said. "I…I didn't expect…"

"You didn't expect this?" she gestured back at the village. "I know what you mean. This is not what most would expect of a werewolf pack. But, just out of curiosity, what did you expect?"

"I guess I kind of expected a nomadic group or…maybe you guys had an area where you made dens. Or you lived in caves."

That was the first time Dawne laughed. It was high pitched, though not nearly as high as Alice's, and very warm. "And do some humans live in buildings that are, like, fifty stories high?"

"Some do, yes." I admit.

She nodded thoughtfully. "What are cities like? You've been living in one for the last year, right?"

"Yeah. They're crowded, noisy, smelly, diverse." I said. "It's cool but I like being out here more."

"Me too." She agreed.

"You talk differently than the others." I blurted out suddenly.

Something flickered in her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You all have this accent but yours is kind of looser."

"You have an accent to me, Neve."

"Touché. But you also _speak_ differently. You speak this language more...casually. Most of them speak English like they're just _translating _all the words. You speak it like you…know how to work it. Do you get what I mean?"

"Yes, I do." She said quietly.

"Why is that?"

"It's a long story," she sighed. "And it's sad. I don't want to get into it."

"Alright," I gave her a reassuring smile. I wasn't going to pry. "Can you teach me to speak that language?"

"Sure! Come with me." She led me down the mountain side opposite of the village and we sat down beside a frozen pond.

Dawne didn't just teach me a few basic words (_Cajje _means hello) but she also talked about their lives. In the summer months when the sun never set and moon never shined they always had to migrate down south to bask in the moonlight. It was dangerous to be so close to human civilizations. So in the pack, winter was the best season. She explained the mark on her arm to be a brand all werewolves received at birth or when they joined the pack if they were changed. I was going to get one. She talked about some of their customs, the social pyramid: Alphas, Betas and Shamans, counsel members, everyone else. Pregnant females and pups were fiercely protected.

"Then…why was Noami so far from the pack?" I whispered. "She was down in _Washington_ for the moon's sake!"

Dawne winced. "Werewolves are pregnant for four months. Once they reach the third month their scent changes so drastically that they're like a beacon to any werewolf hunter within a hundred miles. So the female and her mate, sometimes some of her family, have to head south into the land humans call Canada. That's…usually where they die."

"But…_why_? So many more would be born…!"

"Yes, I know, I wondered the same thing, but honestly, better just a few pups than the entire pack. If this pack goes then that's pretty much it for the Moon's Children. The pack must come first. Do you understand?"

I understood. That didn't mean I had to like it.

"And pups can only be conceived in the season after their mother's birth. So many are terrified that everyone's really careful during that time."

That brought up another question. "Why don't I have hormones?"

She blinked.

"Why can't I get a crush on anyone? Like…why can't I like-like them?"

"Oh. Well, we don't develop those kinds of feelings until we're about five or six. You've got a few months at least."

"And you?"

"Same. We're pretty close in age. …My mother died after I was born. Rayer carried me the rest of the way."

"And your siblings?"

She said nothing. I bowed my head.

It was quiet for the next few minutes. I listened to the sounds of the village on the other side of the mountain and the way the wind blew in the trees. It was probably midday by now, but since we were so far up in Alaska, we were in an endless night. I liked it.

"So, you're an Earth Elemental." She said. "How's that going for you?"

I smiled. "Earth and I get along great. Most of my requests are granted."

"You're lucky." She said. "Earth is a picky about what's done."

"I usually just grow flowers," I admitted. "Nothing serious at all."

"Yeah…once you start trying to create earthquakes you'll run into trouble."

"How do you know?"

Dawne smiled. "Knowledge is preserved in a pack. We've had Elementals before."

"So you guys have…a hall of records?"

"Some things are recorded on stone and wood, but those are easily lost. Memory is the best place to keep things stored."

"I think I get it."

She laughed. "It's alright. I know it's confusing."

"Oh, hey, I just remembered. Where's Tilo?"

Her face changed. "How do you know about Tilo?"

"My brothers and sisters and I met him in a dream a few years ago. Where is he?"

Dawne sighed. "Tilo…died not too long ago. He went below the mountains to find some supplies we couldn't get elsewhere and…he went too close to a town in his wolf form…and…"

"But I thought we could heal!"

"The bullet had silver in it." she said miserably. "He made it back in time to tell the tale while our Shamans worked to heal him and draw the silver out…but it was too late. Silver is deadly when it enters our heart, but it can be cured if it enters anywhere else and is treated in time. It was too close to his heart and with the adrenaline rush he had running back here, it was a miracle he even lived to tell the tail."

I bowed my head. "I wanted to meet him for real."

"I know." She sighed. "Noami, Tilo, both dead. Only Rayer is left. If he dies I become the next Alpha by birthright."

"What about Rame or Scuro?" I said.

She shook her head. "They don't know the pack. They couldn't lead us."

"Do you want to be Alpha?"

Dawne hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't want to be involved in the political aspects."

"But you're like a princess. Isn't it part of the job description?"

She smiled at me. "Our parents are the children of the Alpha. You're a princess, too."

"Sweet." I hopped up and twirled around. "But isn't this a bit plain for a princess?"

She laughed. "Clothes are nothing but restrictions to our kind. You'd be surprised how often our people don't even carry clothes with them when they transform. We never get cold so the amount of clothing, or lack thereof, doesn't affect our health. Didn't you see some of the outfits people had on? I believe the human word for them is 'skimpy.'"

I laughed.

"Seriously, no one cares around here." Dawne assured me. "You guys could wear those tops and shorts Leah likes to wear and no one would care."

"So why are we wearing these?"

"Well, one it's a stature representation. The Alphas, Shamans, and Betas usually wear more that the necessary amount. Two, we figured you would be a little more comfortable wearing something like this because of your upbringing."

For some reason, that irked me to no end.

I frowned and sat down.

"_Nebbo._" She said.

"Wha?"

"It means sorry."

I smiled. Then something hit me and I felt stupid for not catching it before. I stared at her. She seemed unaware of my apprehension as she tucked some of her strawberry hair behind her ears and hummed softly.

"How did you know what clothes Leah likes to wear?" I asked her.

Dawne's eyes widened a bit and she looked across the water.

"Dawne, how did you know?"

"I just know."

"You're hiding something." I narrowed my eyes.

"Leave it alone, please." She stood up and started to walk away.

"No, tell me!" I scrambled up and ran after her. "Dawne," I grabbed her arm. "How did you know that?"

Dawne jerked away from me but didn't try to run. She looked me up and down with narrowed eyes then sighed. "You…you have to promise to keep it a secret. I'm not ready for anyone else to know…but I…I think you can know."

"Know what?"

"Promise you won't tell anyone…especially not Leah."

"Alright, I promise."

Dawne smiled and then raised her hand towards the frozen water. I gasped softly. The ice cracked open and a small stream of water rose up, not like a fountain, but like it was being shot up an invisible pipe. Not a drop out of place. The water curled around like a snake and slowly came towards us. It circled around Dawne's legs, hips, then it coiled around her arm before finally stopping above her hand in a perfectly round circle.

I gawked for a few seconds until I got control of my mouth again. "You're…an Elemental."

Dawne's expression was prompting.

The water froze into a perfectly round ball of ice, still floating above her hand. She smiled at me. Then it hit me and I staggered back.

"No way…" I whispered. "No way…"

Dawne lightly tossed the ice back onto the frozen pond and when she looked at me again, her expression was hurt. Her nose was the same, so was the shape of her face. And her eyes. Just as I remembered. "Why didn't you guys look for me?"

"Why didn't you come back?" The words left my mouth before I could stop them. I wished I hadn't sounded so harsh.

"I didn't know how to find my way. I ended up in the pack's territory and Rayer found me. I told my tale and I was welcomed as an Alpha…a princess. They taught me their ways, their language…and they didn't want me to leave." She clasped her hands together in front of her midsection. "It took about a year before I finally convinced Arlin to let me go. I found the house after a week, but it was empty and the recent scents I found weren't from the Cullen coven. You'd all gone and I had no idea what to do. So…I came back here."

I walked forward and pulled her into a hug. After a moment, she hugged me and I felt her tears on my shoulder.

"We had to leave, you heard what Leah said. The Volturi were going to kill us. If we'd known you were still alive we would've waited."

"I know." She whispered and I suddenly couldn't hold it any longer.

"I…If I hadn't gone with Emily to La Push then Sash wouldn't have taken you all out for camping and you wouldn't have di—gotten lost. Forgive me."

"You did nothing wrong, Neve." She assured me. "I never blamed any of you."

I smiled. "Thank you, Alba."


	45. The Doomed

***************************August 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

**:) I loved everyone's reactions. Yes yes yes Alba is alive! I've been _dying _to tell everyone since I got all the reviews about her death. I've nearly died laughing to myself when anyone mentioned Alba being dead or a spirit wolf... tee hee...**

******Now, of course, the death in this chapter is an actual death. He's dead. He ain't comin back.**

* * *

**Neve**

"So, what's with the new name?"

"Alba means dawn. When I realized I wasn't going to be able to go home I decided to leave Alba behind and become Dawne, the third generation Alpha female. A princess, if you will." She smiled. "It was easier pretending I'd always been Dawne and that my life as Alba was nothing but a dream. But I could never forget. You know, I talked to Fango in a dream a few months ago and he told me you guys were safe and happy. …It made me mad."

"Why?"

"I knew that I was being irrational and that it wasn't true, but it just felt like you guys had moved on and forgotten me." She sighed. "But, after a little while I reminded myself that it was a good thing and that it was right that you were all happy with your lives. Speaking of which, what's the scoop on Mama and Sash?"

I smiled. Dawne had pretty much dropped the accent by that point and had told me to just keep calling her Dawne. I could live with that…for now.

"Oh, well, they're going steady. I've heard the term 'mates' tossed around as much as the words 'boyfriend and girlfriend.' He hasn't popped the question, but knowing them, I'm not sure he will unless she really wants it."

"I'm glad." She said then frowned just a bit. "What happened to all my stuff? Not that I care…"

"You totally care."

"Fine. I care. Now tell me!"

"We kept some of it with us. The Cullens packed the rest and what we had to leave behind in San Francisco the witches stored somewhere."

"Witches, huh." Dawne made a face.

"What?"

"The older folk here talk about times when witches were the ultimate hired help. I don't know it just seems kind of…weird. And this clan offered up their services for free? Look I know our race is being exterminated, but isn't that a bit _much_?"

"Well, it wasn't like they were brewing up a potion to cure world hunger." I said defensively. "They were just doing some forgery, simple spells, and such. No big deal."

"Hmm. Now, tell me about the Crescents you met." She sat up straighter. "They took on _plant_ names?"

"Yeah."

"Weird. They should be given proper werewolf aliases." She said decidedly. "What are they like?"

"Well, Barley, the leader, is calm and collected. His sister, Eaglewood, is fierce. Valerian is kind of bubbly; give her caffeine and she'd be a motor mouth. Paprika's kind of shy and doesn't talk a lot. Sage is, well, annoying but he's got a brain. Yarrow's nice and very sure about things. Briar's one of those people who can talk and relate to almost anything. Foxglove is kind of quiet but when she has something to say then she'll say it, dammit."

Dawne laughed. "Like Mama."

I grinned. "And she's the one who seems to have the most street smarts, besides Barley. Hawthorn is their mechanic slash technician, kind of a geek inside a jock's body. Mint is kind of tough and matter-of-fact. I think she has a crush on Rame."

Dawne let out a giggle. "Oh boy."

"And Catnip is, well, like a cat. She's got catlike eyes, a confident gate, and a grin like the Cheshire Cat in _Wonderland_."

"I want to see that." She decided.

"It's creepy," I admitted. "But I'm used to it now." I tucked some of my hair behind my ear. My eyes were drawn back to my sister like a magnet and I examined her again.

She was so grown up, just like us. Her face was more diamond-shaped than before. Her eyes were blue—I wondered what she'd looked like during her yellow-eye stage. I couldn't imagine her with any other eyes than the ones I was looking at. And her _hair_! When we were younger she'd always had sandy hair. I'd always thought it would've gone blonde if she had lived—not vanished—er…well…you know what I mean. Instead it went to a strawberry color, I could only imagine what it would look like in the Californian sun.

She caught me staring. "What?"

"Your hair."

She looked at of the locks near her face with an arched eyebrow. "What about it?"

"I…guess I always figured it would've been a sandy blonde."

Dawne smiled. "I know what you mean. But no, I became a redhead. Barely mind you, but a redhead all the same. …You know what Arlin said? Brinre, our father, was snow white, just like you, and he had the same eyes Arlin and I do."

"Really?" I leaned forward.

"Yeah. You and Rame got your eyes from Noami, but Fango got her fur. My fur comes from our great grandmother, Miralee, and Luna's pelt come froms our grandmother, Carletta. She and Scuro got eyes from our father."

"Carletta, really? But her hair…"

"I know. Weird right? But it happens."

"What about Rame and Scuro's fur?"

"Scuro looks a lot like Tilo did. And Rame looks a lot like Rayer does."

"Wow," I whispered. The thought of so many family members I had, dead and alive, made my head spin.

"I still can't believe it." Dawne murmured. "When I saw you guys in the den…I wasn't sure if I was hallucinating and when I realized I wasn't…I wondered how you'd found me and if you'd come _for me_ and if you were mad… I told Arlin not to tell anyone who I was."

"I still can't believe you're alive." I said. "We really missed you, Alba."

"Dawne," she corrected.

"We didn't miss Dawne." I said. "We didn't know _Dawne_. We knew _Alba_. It's impossible to miss something you never had."

Dawne/Alba said nothing.

* * *

"Hey girls." Sash and Leah were sitting together next to a stall where a middle-aged werewolf woman with brown, black-streaked hair was cooking meat slabs. They both were wearing animal-skin clothes, looking remarkably like their ancestors would have. Leah had the same dress and pants combo we did, but her dress was one-sleeved. I wondered if that represented her status as much as our clothing did. Sash had on a pair of pants and nothing else.

I waved at Sash and I felt Dawne tremble beside me.

"Any good?"

Leah nodded. "Yep. So much better than the processed shit from the store." She took another bite and smiled to prove her point.

I smiled at the woman and silently prayed I would say it right. "_Pyf U cyka neta_?"

She asked a question in the language that I couldn't understand then looked up at me. "Oh. Here, Lady." She said in that thick accent I was getting used to and held out a misshaped hunk of brown meat.

"Lady?"

"Lady Neve, right?" she tilted her head. "_Wyirchar_ of Noami?"

"She asked if you were Noami's daughter." Dawne muttered in my ear.

"Oh, yes." I said, trying to ignore the slight scowl that appeared on Leah's face.

"_U hceirch ne_." She smiled. "I not recognize your face. You much look like your mother." She gave the meat piece a shake and I walked over to take it from her. She leaned forward and gave me a sniff. "You smell like the human world." She said, a slight crease appearing in her brow.

"I live there," I reminded her.

She nodded, somewhat sadly. "My name Enmarie. I knew your mother long time. Since she was a pup."

"You've known everyone since they were pups." Dawne teased.

Enemarie laughed. "True, true. I am much old. I have seen near thousand winters."

"You don't look a day over two hundred." I assured her and she laughed again.

"You have the wit of father." She told me. "He was loyal wolf."

I smiled.

"All his children are loyal." Her eyes flicked to Dawne for a moment, then back to me. "Like his pack."

"Rayer must've sent it through the grapevine." Dawne mused once we were out of Leah and Sash's earshot.

"What?"

"Word must have spread that everyone has to pretend I'm Rayer's daughter for the time being." She looked around at some of the werewolves. A few of them were watching us. "They are loyal. They won't disobey."

"I'm glad you're so confident."

"Neve, in the human lands, secrets are leaked and promises are broken. Not here. I would trust everyone, even little Ashay, with my life."

"Ashay?"

"The youngest pup. Remember, I introduced you to her? She's about a year and a half old. An adorable little thing. She and her brother were Gretta's only pups and they all made it home alive. The pack celebrated the entire night." She smiled fondly at the memory. "I danced that night—"

"Neve, Dawne!"

We both turned at the sound of our brother's voice. Scuro was hurrying towards us and I let out a shrill giggle. Scuro, the boy who would wear nothing but hoodies if he was allowed, was wearing a pair of animal skin shorts and a matching tunic and his long hair was in a ponytail.

"Nice." I nodded to the outfit.

"You're one to talk." He tugged on my dress. "Come on, Arlin wants us."

* * *

**Yarrow**

It's just not the same here without Neve.

I haven't known her long, but I _really _like her. She's pretty, smart, funny, and she didn't seem ashamed of her heritage at all. Not like I was at first. She trusted us, defended us, and _accepted_ us. Did I mention she's pretty? Seriously, what's not to like? Ok yeah, there is the whole thing about her being only _four years old_ but, heck, that little girl Claire was two when Quil 'imprinted' on her, whatever the hell that means, so I guess…age isn't a big issue with people like her…

I'm so screwed. Never mind the fact that I'm over ten years older than her. She's a pure werewolf. Not a drop of humanity in her. And me? I've got so much human blood that I can't even be called a werewolf. I'm a _Crescent._ A phase of the moon where only a sliver of the surface is illuminated. Only a sliver of my heritage shows and the rest is obscured by humanity. The name fits so well.

These woods seem a bit less…friendly without her walking along beside me.

She's in Alaska now and, from what I heard, with a pack of actual werewolves. The pack her parents came from, according to that dude, Embry. She belongs there. She'll probably meet some nice guy wolf up there and forget all about me. I'm just a _Crescent_ from the Bayou and he'll be like a full freaking moon from the pack. Which moon phase affects the werewolves more? You guessed it.

Yeah. I'm so screwed.

I grit my teeth and kick up some of the dirt, stuffing my hands in my pockets. My hair falls in my face. Solid black like a native's since they made us dye our hair back to normal. Makes me feel bad for Foxy. Her ginger hair sticks out like blood on a white cat.

I push my hair out of my face and sigh.

"Hello, little boy."

"_Merde!_" I yelp and jump a foot into the air. I spin around, wildly looking for the speaker.

It's a woman. She's standing a few yards away, dark hair pulled up in a ponytail. Even from here I can tell she's drop dead gorgeous. Just one problem. Her eyes are red.

"Shit…" I stumble back and hit a tree. "Please don't eat me."

The vampire woman smiles at me then inhales. "Ah, yes. You're one of those humans who knows."

I gulp. "I—I'm not human."

"Nice try." She smiles. It isn't a nice smile, but she still looks hot. "I can smell the werewolves on you. Nothing personal, kid, but I've got a job to do."

I sprint away before she can move and make a beeline for the town. She catches me within seconds and throws me at a tree. With reflexes I inherited from my non-human ancestors, I reach out and grab a branch before I can hit the trunk and pull myself up. She circles the tree with the smile of a hunter who knows she's got her prey. I dig my nails into the bark and growl at her. Surprise flickers in her eyes.

I better keep her occupied. Embry said they have something like sixth sense for knowing if vampires are near. Someone will feel it, someone will come hunting. If I can just keep her busy until then, maybe I'll have a chance.

"Why do you want to kill me?" I ask.

She continues to circle. "Like I said, kid, it's nothing personal. It's just a job."

"Who's your employer?"

She arched one eyebrow. "Now why on Earth would I tell you that?"

I gulp.

* * *

**Neve**

"So you're getting adjusted quite well, I see." Arlin nodded approvingly at our new attire. I had to admit, Jacob and Sam looked hilarious in their animal skin pants.

Carlisle stood near the wall, watching with an almost expressionless face. His clothes were the same as before so apparently they hadn't succeeded in 'converting' him. Maybe they hadn't even tried. He caught me looking at him and smiled.

"This place is awesome," Seth said.

Arlin smiled. "Thank you. We have limited resources but we try."

Dawne shifted away from me and stood closer to our grandfather. I was seriously going to have to get used to that. I had a _grandpa._

A few other werewolves were off to the side in the den. I figured they must be the others' guides and translators.

"What did you want to talk to us about?" Leah asked.

"I have announced that there is a council meeting tonight after sundown so by tomorrow we should have reached a decision. Since it is almost dark it is time for the evening hunts. I would like you all to go out. It will be a chance to learn the territory and get food for the pack."

"Alright." Jacob said.

Five minutes later, Dawne and I were streaking through the trees so close that our pelts brushed. In this form it was easier to see she was the same wolf we were born beside. No wonder she didn't want to go with the others. If they saw her as a wolf they would recognize her in a heartbeat.

_Alba, why don't you want them to know who you are?_

She didn't bother to correct me. _Because I belong with this pack now, Neve. It's my home. If the pack doesn't go back with you to fight then I won't either. I don't want Mama and the others to think I'm a traitor; that I don't care. Not like…_

_Not like?_

_Not like Luna._

_Oh. _I flattened my ears.

_It'll be easier if they just don't know it's me. As long as I'm the cousin you just found out you had, the cousin who was born and raised in the pack, then it won't hurt them. _

_What about me?_

_You weren't supposed to know, either. You'll just…have to cope._

_Do you really think Arlin will chose not to help?_

_He might, he might not. He wants to help, but he may not be willing to risk the future of the pack. His idea of protection could be sheltering you all here until the Volturi give up._

_They won't give up._ I growled. _They'll find us. Or they'll find the Cullens and find out through them where we are. _

Dawne snarled out a curse.

_I know. _I agreed grimly. _Carlisle probably considered all possible outcomes. That's why he'll be at the council meeting to point out negative things for every outcome that _doesn't_ involve sending an army back with us._

_An army,_ Dawne murmured. _Is that what you _really_ came for?_

_Yes. We need numbers, sis. _

_Then my dream was right._

_Dream?_

_I've had two dreams in the past month. The second one was Celbra telling me we were getting visitors. The first…the first was like one of Alice's visions. I saw the werewolves, a few vampires, and other creatures I didn't recognize standing on the slope of a mountain and on the other side, across a wide valley, there was a mass of vampires. Then I saw brief flashes of fighting. There was so much blood and violence and pieces of people lying everywhere…_

She shuddered from head to tail.

I gritted my teeth. _This is _war,_ Alba. People are going to die. If you're having doubts, remember our mother and father. _

She gave herself a shake. _Come on. Let's hunt. I need something to distract me_.

Dawne was a better hunter than me. I hunted for sport. She hunted for survival. I watched as she streaked across the forest, not even bothering to conceal herself as she bore down on a small herd of moose. I kept them from fleeing, taking down one myself, while she snapped necks and broke spinal cords with powerful bites and blows.

_Damn, Neve._

_That's nothing. _She tossed her head, shaking her neck fur. _Two dozen of us took down a herd of about…one hundred a few months ago._

_Damn!_

* * *

**Yarrow**

I scream as loud as I can before the vampire jumps onto my branch and shoves me off. I hit the ground hard. I think I just broke a bone somewhere.

"Please," I gasp when I get breath. "I have a family…a girlfriend!"

The vampire woman doesn't respond and jumps down. Of course that doesn't work. She's a killer. She destroys families so that she can eat. I scramble up and try to run. She catches me after two seconds and twists my arm the wrong way.

I scream, mostly in pain, but partly to attract attention. I feel her hands around head, ready to snap my neck. I squeeze my eyes shut, silently saying goodbye to everyone I love…

An loud snarl makes my eyes fly open and the vampire actually lets me go. I crumple to the ground, listening to the sounds of a fight. I look up and I see her and a dark silver wolf locked in a fierce fight. Jaws snapping, snarls erupting, bodies weaving around in a deadly dance.

I scrambled away and I felt two hands yank me up. The pain in my arm makes me cry out. "Come on, run!" a female voice cries in my ear.

Rachel, Jacob's sister. She pulls me along, glancing back every few seconds at the wolf I know must be Paul.

"Hurry, we need to get help!"

After a moment I'm strong enough to run and we race towards the village. Every movement sends a wave of pain through my arm. I grit my teeth, fighting screams. The sounds of the fight fade as we run.

We emerge near Brady's house. He and one of the other Quileute shape-shifters, I think his name is Daniel, are in the back yard with Sage and Paprika. Rachel shouts at them about Paul fighting a vampire.

The pain is starting to make me dizzy.

Brady and Daniel shape-shift in midair and run away too quickly for me to watch. My body sags and Sage is there to catch me.

"Easy_, hombre_." He says. He and Paprika help me into the vehicle while Rachel fires it up.

"Where are we going?" Paprika asks.

"Emily's house." I hear Rachel say.

My head's swimming. I close my eyes. I just need to relax for a minute….

"Hey, wake up."

My eyes open and I know right away I'm not in the van anymore. I lift my head just a bit. Oh. We're in Emily's house.

"You're alright." Emily herself is sitting beside the couch. "Just a few minor breaks here and there. Sue Clearwater took a look at you earlier. You're healing faster than an ordinary human. You'll be fine by sundown at this rate."

I nod and sit up. Glad my arm doesn't hurt anymore. Paprika and Sage are in the corner, watching me. Rachel is by the window. I can tell by her posture she's worried.

"Where are the guys?"

Emily's face fell a bit. "The rest of the pack went out. They're not back yet."

I swallow nervously.

"You gots an owie."

Harry, Emily and Sam's son, is standing by the couch, his little fists gripping the cushion for support.

"Yes, he has an 'owie.'" Emily smiles fondly at her son. The dark-haired toddler blinks up at me with wide, curious eyes.

"Oh god!" Rachel suddenly chokes out and she runs for the door. Emily hurries after her and I get to my feet and follow.

Outside, I hear Rachel start screaming.

I stop in the doorway.

Jared, Quil, Embry, Collin, Brady, and Daniel are standing solemnly in Emily's front yard. Embry is holding a limp, broken body in his arms. A body with blood on it. A body that's twisted at an odd angles…

Embry gently lowers the body to the ground and Rachel falls to her knees beside him. "No!" she screams. "No, please, no!"

I gasp.

It's Paul.

* * *

**Leah**

I flew out of bed before Seth's screaming really started. I raced around to the other side of the Alpha's den to the little hut Seth was sleeping in. I was the first one in, but I wasn't the last. Alrin, Dawne, and an ancient looking werewolf were in the den seconds after I was. I got my arm around Seth as he started hyperventilating and looked at me with a terrified expression.

The werewolf that reminded me of Quil senior put his hand on Seth's forehead and stared into my little brother's eyes. Slowly, Seth's breathing slowed to normal and he leaned against me.

Jacob, Sam, and Sash were peering in the doorway and I could hear at least half the pack lurking outside. I rubbed Seth's back, ignoring the layer of sweat covering his body.

"What did you see?" The elderly werewolf's voice was surprisingly deep and firm for someone as old as he had to be.

Seth was trembling. He swallowed. "I saw…someone lying on the ground…and a fire with the smoke vampire bodies make coming out of it. The body was twisted all wrong…and it had blood all over it…and someone leaned down to pick him up. I saw the face and I woke up."

"Who was it?"

Seth shuddered. "I don't remember. I know I saw it…but I can't remember whose it is…" he put his head in his hands. "This is the worst yet." He mumbled.

"Worst what?"

Seth swallowed and looked up at me. "Remember the dreams I was having a few years ago? …They didn't stop like I said they did. They've been happening. Not every night, but at least a few times a week. I…I knew one of us was going to get lost in the snow. I saw it in my dream…but I couldn't tell which one of us it was or when it would happen… I knew we would be betrayed but I didn't know it'd be Luna. I knew we would meet people with cinnamon for skin and werewolves who weren't werewolves…and I dreamed about Alaska that night in the car. Someone told me in a dream we are going to lose a brother. And…I saw…I saw the battle in a dream. God, it's going to be awful."

"Were the Children of the Moon fighting with you?" Arlin asked.

Seth nodded.

Arlin nodded and glanced at the old werewolf who looked ready to kiss Seth, or something.

Seth looked at him. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing, my son." The werewolf assured him with undisguised awe in his voice. "Everything about you is right."

With that, the werewolf left the den, leaving me to try and coax my baby brother back to sleep. But I knew it was a lost cause. When he was calm enough to be left alone, I left the den to confront Arlin.

"What did that old crank mean?"

Arlin gave me a disapproving look. "That is Seboa. He is the oldest werewolf alive and a very revered Shaman. He deserves the utmost respect."

I held up my hands. "Alright, sorry. What did _Seboa_ mean?"

Arlin rubbed his chin then sighed. "Have you heard of the Prophecy of Aldia?"

"The what of who?"

* * *

**Yes. I really did just reveal that Seth is one of the wolves in the prophecies. Go back to Chapter 20: Aldia if you need to refresh your memory about the prophecies.**

**Yes. I really did just kill Paul.  
**


	46. Chosen

***************************August 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

**Well, a _lot_ will be explained this chapter so read every inch of it!**

* * *

**Leah**

Seth had a nightmare the following night, too. He woke up screaming at the top of his lungs about pain and death. His body convulsed with some sort of fit until Seboa put some smelly stuff under Seth's nose and he passed out. I stood by the entrance to the den, teeth gritted and hands clenched.

Apparently, the nightmares and dreams Seth had been having for months—and maybe years if you count that really horrible nightmare spell he'd had when he was seven—were because he was part of some centuries old werewolf prophecy, which made about as much sense as trigonometry. We weren't even werewolves, just descendants of a human who had bonded with a wolf that happened to have werewolf in its almost normal DNA.

But they were damn sure it was Seth which made them wonder if I was the other one mentioned. Was I the "Moon's Warrior?" Who knew? Did I want such a posh title? No.

"Leah, I need to talk to you."

I turned around. Dawne was standing there, hands clasped in front of her stomach. She smiled nervously.

"Is this about that Prophesy nonsense?"

"Ah. No."

"Alright then," I said.

"Follow me, please." She lead me through the village I'd already fallen in love with, up the mountain, and down into the next valley over. It didn't take that long while we were running.

She stopped in front of the frozen pond Annalee had shown me when I was getting the grand tour of the territory.

"I guess this is the best place," she said, almost to herself. "I told Neve here, afterall…"

"What?" I walked around in front of her. Her cobalt eyes were locked on the frozen water.

"I…really don't know how to say it…" she murmured.

"Just say whatever you need to say." I said.

Dawne sighed and clenched her fists. When she spoke, her accent was almost completely gone. "Mama, it's me. I'm Alba. I'm not dead."

I blinked.

"Neve told me how sad you were. I'm sorry. I wanted to come back, I really did." She went on quickly, while I failed to grasp what she was saying. "They didn't want me to leave but I did go back to the house but you guys had moved away and I didn't know where to go and I couldn't get a hold of you without going into a town and I really couldn't do that—"

"Enough."

"…You don't believe me, do you?" she looked scared.

I clenched my teeth and surveyed her face. I had noticed similarities between her and the others, but I'd attributed it to their shared halves of the gene pool. She _did_ have Alba's eyes… but so did Arlin. Plus, her hair was all wrong. Why would it turn _strawberry?_

"No, I don't." I said, though it hurt to say it. "Alba's dead."

Dawne sighed and took a deep breath. When she let it out I heard a sizzling noise from my right. The pond's icy cover was melting, shrinking into pure water. She took a step onto the water and it froze beneath her foot. The rest of the surface froze again mere seconds later, except for a little spot near the shoreline. The water shot up too quickly for me to dodge and hit me right in the face.

I spat it out of my mouth and wiped my eyes off. I ignored the hissing as my body heat evaporated the water and glared at the weregirl.

"That wasn't funny, dammit. That got me right in the—"

I stopped and looked back at the water. I looked down at my soaking wet dress. I looked back at her.

"Shit. You're…" I took a step back and my eyes flicked back to the water. "Shit."

"I'm shit? Thanks, Mama." she scowled and that's what really made it sink in. Alba's nose always wrinkled a bit when she scowled, I'd never seen anyone else do it.

"Oh…God." I put my hand over my mouth for a second and my eyes searched every inch of her face, her posture. Then I closed the distance and pulled her into a hug.

Neither of us said anything else for a few minutes.

"_How?_" I asked. "The cliff…the avalanche…"

"I didn't know there was a cliff. I remember trudging through the snow and some of it sliding away behind me, but I didn't go down with it."

"But your scarf, they found it near the avalanche…"

"It got blown off when I had to shift back to use my hands." She sighed. "I didn't realize…I didn't know I was going further away from Rame. I ended up passing out and digging my way out of the snow the next day. The storm had cleared but I had no idea where I was or which way I'd come from. So I kept walking. After a while I just started howling. Rayer, my uncle, was hunting solo when he heard my calls. He found me and carried me back to the pack. I told them my story and they welcomed me as a third-generation Alpha female, meaning the High Alpha's grandchild."

"I got that. But why didn't you come back? Didn't they know the way to a place like Fairbanks?"

"Oh they knew." Alba's voice turned grim. "But since I was Noami's daughter and one of the youngest werewolves alive, they didn't want me to leave. Of course, the fact I'm an Elemental didn't help my case, either. Of course, I won't lie and say I didn't enjoy it here. After a while it felt like home, but something was missing. You guys. I wanted you all to see this with me. It took almost a year for me to convince Arlin to let me go back, at least for a visit. But…like I told you…"

"We'd already gone." I murmured.

"Yeah." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry I waited until now to tell you, but I didn't want you to be sad if Arlin decided not to help…because I'd stay here with my pack."

"I understand." I pulled the hair from behind her hair and she scowled playfully. Ah there's that nose wrinkle. "You have loyalties and a duty and I admire you for putting them first."

Alba smiled. "Maybe you can help me tell the others?"

We stayed with the werewolves for over a week. They were very hospitable.

Carlisle got to spend time with the Shamans—the healers and priest-like figures in the pack—learning their healing methods and suggesting a few of his own. They taught him how to cure silver wounds. If only we'd learned that earlier. I'd never let the kids use or wear anything made out of real silver just in case it got in their bloodstream.

They also got Carlisle a little hut he could retreat into, but that didn't stop the youngest pack members peering through the curtain door.

Their names were Ashay (hope and life) and Taarin (strength and life). Cutest little things. Ashay was midnight black with beautiful blue eyes and Taarin was as white as snow, except for the black tufts on his ears. His eyes were identical to his sister's.

Names symbolized so much to these people, I felt bad for giving my four such simple names. I asked Neve, Rame, and Scuro if they wanted to receive werewolf names but they said no. And I had noidea whether to call her Dawne or Alba. The others seemed to prefer calling her by the name I'd given her, but the werewolves knew her as Dawne.

The werewolves taught us to _really _hunt. Annalee, a pretty gray wolf who had been appointed my guide, was a very good teacher, even if she wasn't perfectly fluent in English. One time when she was asking to describe a city she inquired what 'streaks' felt like. After an awkward silence I explained what a streak was—she really didn't see the problem since modesty wasn't a big thing in their pack—and she then asked what the cars drove on if it wasn't a streak. So I told her about streets and sidewalks.

Of course I really couldn't laugh at her. I failed miserably at learning the language the first few days. But by day four I could say basic phrases, like hello, goodbye, and ask for food. Annalee told me not to be put out because it was a _werewolf_ language and it wasn't in my nature to speak it.

"In fact, you can only learn it because you're a wolf shape-shifter." She said. "Your vampire friend could never become even halfway fluent."

Which explained why Jacob, Seth, and Sam were struggling and Carlisle could barely say a sentence. Even with his perfect memory, the knowledge just slipped away. That frustrated him. But Rame, Scuro, and Neve soaked it up like sponges.

Carlisle was also frustrated by the lack of cell service. He couldn't send or receive calls and he agreed it was safer for him to stay masked by the werewolf scent so he couldn't head into town where he could call down to the house and see how things were.

We could have gone home the day Arlin pledged the pack's allegiance, but they asked us to stay because they were sending a small party north to seek out Aldia, the prophet she-wolf who'd taken solace in the icy tundra of the North. She was an air Elemental, I remembered Nana telling me that. Even though I didn't want to be a part of her prophecy, and even though I knew they were going to find her because only she could confirm the identities of the one's she'd prophesized, the thought of meeting her made me excited.

"I wish Pap and Nana could see this place." Sash murmured to me late one night, as we were curled up together in the den we were now sharing.

I smiled. "Maybe when this is all over, they'll let Pap come here. After all, he and Nana kept werewolf secrets all these years."

"How did they even find those things out?"

"Ask Arlin. Maybe he knows."

And ask we did. As it turned out, when Nana and Pap were younger, they sheltered a lost werewolf child because Pap remembered their family legends about wolf transformations. While the child was staying with them she rewarded them with some the secrets of the hidden world. Her name was Maisha and she was very much alive. She'd been the youngest werewolf alive until Noami had given birth. Annalee and Warren, Sash's guide, took us to meet her.

She was running a stall where people could trade for venison patties. Annalee whispered, "She has a special recipe that she uses."

She was beautiful. Her carrot hair was long and curly and her eyes were an amazing lavender color. It was a rare gene; only ten werewolves were known to have purple eyes. Apparently it was the result of a werewolf mating with a witch sometime in their ancestries. Ducky was going to have a cow over that one.

Maisha's smile lit up the whole hut when Sash introduced himself using his birth name for the first time since his transformation. "Oh my goodness!" she put her hand on his cheek. "Oh you look just like he did! Maybe a little younger, but I can see him in you. How is John? Ruth is well, I hope. She was pregnant when I was there. I suppose you are the son of that baby? Is he handsome?"

"Um, yeah. My dad's name was Abraham."

"Was?"

"He…died. A vampire killed him."

Maisha put her hand over her mouth. "I am so sorry."

"It's alright."

"But John and Ruth?"

"Nana…was also killed last year. When the Volturi burned my house she died inside. My mother, uncle, and aunt died, too."

Maisha bowed her head. "_Go in peace, gentle spirits._"

I smirked to myself. My language lessons were paying off.

Sash swallowed. "But Pap is alive."

Maisha perked up. "He is? Where is he?"

"He's staying with the shape-shifter wolves. Leah's people." He pointed to me.

"I want to see him." She said, then smiled. "I am sure you will recognize this." she handed him a venison patty. When he took a bite his eyes filled with tears and he blinked them away.

"Nana." He said after he swallowed. "She taught you to make these, didn't she?"

Maisha smiled. "Yes. She asked me to share it with my people. And I have."

Sash smiled, too.

The next day, Alba and I were talking some. "So, Alba, care to explain something to me?"

"What?"

"During the whole confrontation about Renesmee we had with the Volturi, it was mentioned that real werewolves rarely travel in packs. What's up with this place?"

"Well, we're not traveling." She said. "We're a village. There used to be villages all over the world, but when the extermination began again, everyone scattered."

"Began _again_?"

"Oh, yeah. There was one a long, long time ago. We recovered from that. Then it was restarted several centuries ago. Anyway, this is the only permanent place that has managed to survive. We take in any roamers we can, but the numbers are dwindling. My guess is that only two hundred werewolves live outside this pack. Nomadic werewolves, though, usually roam solo or with one or two others. Usually the pack contains a mated pair or kin. It's dangerous to roam with a crowd."

"Two hundred…" I murmured. "We need to find them. Is there a way without sending out search parties?"

Alba tilted her head. "I'm not sure. I'll ask the Shamans." And she ran off.

There was a way, theoretically, but it wasn't safe.

"If Seth really is the Dreamer, he should be able to communicate with the spirits they way you did, Leah." Seboa gave me the look I'd come to identify as the _you're-the-Moon's-Warrior-get-used-to-it_ look. "Through there he can send a dream to every werewolf in the world."

"Including Luna," Rame said.

"Therein lies the problem." He frowned. "In order to summon the others he would have to summon your sister. You would be revealing our location to the enemy."

"What if I summoned them to La Push?" Seth asked.

"Too dangerous," Sam said instantly. "We have to protect the tribe."

"Right. Then maybe to your house near Denali?" Seth suggested to Carlisle who nodded.

"Yes, but we'll have to get there quickly and prepare."

"Alright." Seboa put his hand on Seth's shoulder. "I am going to put you to sleep. As you drift off I need you to will yourself into the Forest of the Moon."

"I'll help him." I said and sat down beside Seth. "I've been there before."

Seboa hesitated, then nodded. They placed pillows on our heads and we got comfortable then I grasped my brother's hand. Seboa pulled out the vial and placed it under my nose first. I looked up at Sash for a moment then inhaled deeply. The effects were instantaneous. It was like shooting anesthesia directly into my body. I felt my body go limp and my eyes closed. I felt like I was falling in the dizzy darkness and I managed to thrust the image of the forest near the gate to Amari and Allo's world into my mind. I held onto it as long as possible then I sank into unconsciousness.

The first thing I realized was that I was lying on grass, not the blankets of the Shaman's den.

I opened my eyes.

I was in the Forest of the Moon. I gently inhaled the sweet scents and sat up. I was still clutching Seth's hand. I figured I had to wait for him to wake up on his own so I surveyed the forest from where I was. We were a few yards away from the archway. The warm light illuminated our surroundings and I smiled. From inside the light, I thought I saw a young woman's face smiling back at me.

"Hello, Amari." I murmured.

Seth stirred momentarily and then sat straight up with a gasp.

"Welcome to the land of the dead." I said and pulled him to his feet. He looked around in his eyes wide with amazement, his mouth agape.

"Pretty cool, isn't it?"

"Now why couldn't my dreams ever take me here?"

I shrugged. "You got me."

"Um, now what do we do?"

"You're the Dreamer. You tell me."

"Uh…hey, what's that light?" he pointed at the Gate. "Maybe we should go there?"

"No!" I said quickly. "That's where Amari and Allo live. Remember? I told you about them."

"Oh, right. Why did we come out here, then?"

"Because this is the strongest image I had. Maybe we should get help though." I took a deep breath then shouted for Fango at the top of my lungs. My voice echoed loudly through the silent trees, carried on by a breeze that had begun the blow.

And we waited. I had no idea how much time had passed, if time even existed in this world. Then we heard the sound of paw steps. I saw a fully grown brown wolf loping towards us with a slightly smaller, and very familiar strawberry-blonde werewolf running beside him.

"Fango! Kalli!" I shouted, waving my hand.

They slowed to a stop in front of us and Fango leaned forward to give my cheek a lick, brushing my back with his tail. _Thank you, Leah. Thank you! We have grown up! And now you are keeping your promise._

"Did that old feud ever end?"

_Yeah, Alba joining the pack was a fair solution. …Some of them do blame you for Luna's decision, though._

I spat on the ground. "And you can tell them I did that."

Fango chuckled. He was fully grown, just like his siblings, and his voice was very similar to Scuro's.

_Hello, Seth. _Fango gently bumped his paw into Seth's stomach.

_It is good to see you again, Leah. Watching you in the living world is not the same. _Kalli smiled and bumped her head against my shoulder.

"Hey, Kalli."

_Why are you here? _

"Seth…he's the Sun's Dreamer isn't he?"

_We think so. _Kalli gazed at my brother with shining eyes. _You know, before Alba was lost, we thought she was the Dreamer. She pretty much fitted all the descriptions. Of course, _her voice turned grim. _A lot of wolves fit most of the descriptions. Only Seth has fitted them all._

"And am I the…?"

_We think so. However, none of the prophecies say the Warrior is related to the Dreamer. It has only been assumed. Aldia will know when she sees you if you are the Warrior and Dreamer._

"When will she arrive?"

_A few hours._ Fango said.

_But why are you here? _Kalli repeated.

"I need to send a dream to every werewolf in the world, asking them to fight with us." Seth said. "Seboa says I should be able to do it."

Fango nodded. _Ah. _

"Can you help?"

_No, but Amari can, I think. Come with me. Leah, you need to stay here with Kalli. _

"Good luck, Seth." I patted him on the shoulder.

Fango ducked down. _Climb on my back._ Seth hopped on and Fango, after brushing muzzles with Kalli, carried him through the Gate.

Kalli and I watched them go. I felt a smile creeping onto my face. "Kalli, are you and Fango…?" I trailed off.

_I…_she laughed, mostly to herself. _It is strange that we should find love after we are dead._

* * *

"_Hi." A boy, probably only sixteen at best, with dark hair down to his shoulders and copper skin stands alone in a misty forest clearing. "My name is Seth. I'm not a werewolf like you but I can take on a wolf form like a lot of my ancestors could. I may not be a true werewolf but I've been through so much that I feel like I am one._

"_I've got these abilities and I'm not exactly sure how I've got them but I think they're from Celbra, the moon. I know I probably don't deserve them but I have them and I know I need to use them for this. _

"_I've sent this dream to every werewolf in the world and I'm asking you all to hear me out. Vampires are killing Children of the Moon and there isn't much time before our race is extinct. The vampire leaders, a group called the Volturi, are planning to attack very soon and wipe out as many of us as possible. In the past, werewolves have fought back when they were attacked but there has never been enough to defend the packs from their attackers. Not this time._

"_The Volturi threatens our pack and our families. We're not letting them destroy us. We're going to fight back but we're not going to be alone. There is one last werewolf village remaining in North America and the pack there has decided to fight with us. We have a few good vampires, ones who respect our lives, that are ready to fight with us, plus a few other creatures, but it may not be enough. The Volturi are gathering their own allies, ones that want us dead. We need all the help we can get if we want to win."_

_The boy vanishes and is replaced by a large clearing, surrounded by trees, all covered in snow. A large log cabin stands in the middle and a group of five young werewolves romp around in the front. The cabin scene is replaced by a flurry of images that pass to quickly to grasp but the map forms, impossibly clear. _

"_This is where our army is gathering. If you want to fight come here. If you don't want to fight then that's fine." The boy is back. "But know this; one fighter can be the difference between failure and victory. If we fail, the Children of the Moon are doomed. If we win…we're all _free_. Make your choice. We have less than three weeks. If you want to fight come quickly. It's up to you. But before you downright refuse, think of the ones who will suffer if we fail."_

_The boy was gone again and the last thing visible before mist closes around is a group of five young werewolf pups, splashing around in the mud then running over to tackle a large sandy wolf while a gray wolf looks on with motherly pride._

* * *

**Luna**

I wake up almost instantly and leap to my feet. All the vampires in the throne room are watching me worriedly, except for Caius who is openly expressing suspicion.

I put my head in my hands and try to process what I've just seen and I sink to the floor. That was Seth in my dream. The werewolves are really going to fight back. Why had he done that? Didn't he know if he sent something to all the werewolves that I would know about it? And, a more appropriate question: _how the fuck_ _did he _do_ that?_

Something about powers from the moon…

Those images of wolves playing, I remember them. They're of us when we were little. He had to have known I would see…. Were those aimed at me? I give my head a shake.

"Luna, what happened to you?" Sulpicia, Aro's wife, is by my side.

"I…" I swallow and glance up at Aro. "I had a dream."

Aro holds out his hand expectantly. I hesitate for only a moment. I walk over and touch my fingers to his palm.

* * *

**Neve**

I opened my eyes. Around me, the rest of the wolf pack was stirring too. Everyone must've lost conscious when Seth sent out the dream. I hoped no one had been hurt because of that…

"He could've worded it better." Rayer frowned. "That was his only chance."

"But he got the point across." Arlin smiled down at Seth and Leah's unconscious forms. "He really is the Sun's Dreamer."

"Ironic, isn't it, that he sent everyone into a dream when the sun's up?" I murmured.

"It's not up here."

"But if we weren't so far north, the sun would be up."

"There is where he gets the title."

* * *

**Leah**

My eyes fluttered open and the first thing I said was, "He did it."

"We know." Alba helped me sit up. "Everyone lost consciousness when he sent out the dream."

I looked down at Seth and our still joined hands. I didn't let go. He woke up about ten minutes later and smiled tentatively.

"How'd I do?"

"Well enough." Seboa assured him. "I know every werewolf heard it."

"Aldia will be here soon." I warned. I had no idea how much time had passed since Kalli told me. "Within a few hours, probably."

"Praise Celbra!" Arlin cried and hurried out of the den.

Three hours later, the search party returned, surrounding the single most beautiful werewolf I'd ever seen. Her fur was the color of the purest, whitest snow, and her eyes were luminous silver, like a young werewolf's under the full moon. The wind swirled gently around her and every werewolf fell silent, clearing a path for her to us. Some of them even fell to their knees.

Ashay, the baby wolf, ran from her mother and pressed her nose into Aldia's flank. The werewolf looked down at the pup and the closest thing to a smile she could make appeared on her face.

When she got close to us her eyes filled with tears and she howled. The wind howled with her. The sound made the breath rush out of my chest.

"Lady Alida," Arlin bowed to her once her howling had ended. I blinked, slightly dazed. "Will you retake your human shape so we may speak?"

_I have not taken on human form in years. _Aldia's rich voice sounded like it was in my head, but at the same time, it filled the air of the clearing. _I have learned to speak without a human mouth. I do not need it. _

If Arlin was as surprised as I was then he didn't show it. He smiled, "As you wish."

"Hello, Aldia."

Aldia dipped her head to Seboa. _Hello, grandfather. It has been too long._

Seboa smiled warmly at his granddaughter.

Aldia raised her head and looked at Seth and me. _My eyes have waited for so long to see your faces._

Everyone knew the Prophecy. I listened to their murmuring but I didn't look away from Aldia's silver eyes.

"You're crazy." I said before I could stop myself. "We're not werewolves, we—"

_No, you are not. This makes it all the better. A creature not of our race is willing to lay down her life to defend us. You had no duty to us yet you set your life aside to care for the children of another. You are here, now, ready to challenge our greatest enemy head on. _

"If Seth hadn't found them this never would've happened." I argued pointlessly. I wondered why I was fighting this. "It was just a coincidence."

_No, child. Everything happens for a reason. Every breath you take has a purpose. The pain you suffered has made you stronger. The lives lost were lost for a reason. Every decision made has lead to this. Even decisions not made by you. __I have had more dreams, more prophecies during my solitude in the North. _Aldia announced. _I saw things that would come to pass that would lead to this moment and what is to come. Six destinies woven around each other to protect our people._

"Who are they?" Arlin asked.

_The one who was lost._ She looked at Alba and then her gaze switched to Scuro. _The one who will redeem._ _The one who became as hot as fire. _She was looking Sash. _And your sister, the one who became as cold as ice. The one who has betrayed…I do not see her face here. She has fair hair and green eyes and a scar across her cheek from a silver blade._

"Luna, our sister." Neve whispered. "She joined the Volturi. She's helping them try to kill us."

_Yes. I have no doubt when I look at her face I will see the girl from my vision. Alba, child, you were lost because without your supposed death your sister would have never lost her way, which is what lead to him becoming a werewolf and his sister becoming a vampire. Her anger is what leads to the death of the Warrior and Dreamer's doomed brother. _She looked around. _…He is not here._

"We have no brother." I said.

…_You do. _She said grimly. _It was part of the prophecy. You have a brother. He has black hair, black eyes, and copper skin. _

"So does everyone else in our tribe." Jacob pointed out.

"Oh Mom and I are going to be having a long talk when we get back to La Push." I growled. I highly doubted Dad had an affair—the whole tribe would've known about it.

_He will die before we go to war in eighteen days_ Aldia growled.

"How do you know?" Arlin asked. "When the battle will begin, I mean."

_Do you not remember the Prophecy?_

'_The moon's warrior and the sun's dreamer_

_Will come together _

_As Taqqiq and Siqinq reunite_

_The sun and moon share the sky_

_A battle rages on'_

_You two shall lead us on the day the Taqqiq and Siqinq reunite, they are sun and moon. _

"There's going to be an eclipse." Seth explained.

_Yes. And that is when the battle will rage. I take it Celbra showed you this in your dreams?_

He nodded.

_She has chosen well, then. …I saw your message, young one. You have done no less than what I hoped. You have rallied our Brothers and Sisters. I have no doubt that many will answer your call. You are a credit to us all._

Seth looked a bit bashful. "Thank you."

We stayed for a few more hours to eat and talk to Aldia. She must've put me under a spell or something because I felt like I could have sat there for days and listen to her words. She had so much to tell everyone, so many stories to make the pups laugh with, and words of advice for the wolves that hadn't lived before the massacres began.

Carlisle was determined though and we had to leave by sunset. We took Alba with us. She was nervous as hell. We got back to the big house in about three hours_._ The scent of so many vampires after we'd spent days with werewolves made me whimper and Alba whined in agony, having been away from it for so long.

"There's some wolves coming!" An unfamiliar, melodic voice announced.

"There's a vampire with them."

"It's Carlisle!"

"It's them!"

We paused just inside the woods to phase back and put our normal clothes on—only Alba hadn't left behind her animal skin clothes—and hurried out of the woods.

My mouth fell open. Probably thirty people were pouring out of the house. Some vampire, some not. I didn't recognize most of them, but a few of them I remembered from before. The long-limbed, wild Amazonians, a few of the nomads, the Denali coven, the two nicer ones from Egypt, the half-vampire and his aunt, and the two Romanian vampires.

Esme flew past the other vampires and ran right into Carlisle's arms. "I've been so worried." I heard her murmur before I tuned them out and focused on the small army that had amassed since we'd gone.

More of them had appeared, including Sam's pack, the Crescent pack, and a few others I didn't recognize. Then a single, large wolf appeared and I whistled softly. Someone had already responded to Seth's dream.

"No," I murmured to myself and narrowed my eyes. That wolf wasn't a werewolf. It didn't have the right _look_ werewolves did. It was a shape-shifter! One of ours? A stranger?

Jacob ran to Renesmee like a bee to honey and Seth, Sam, and I headed over to the guys.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked sharply. "I thought I said to stay in La Push."

"You didn't _order_ it, though." Jared pointed out.

Sam frowned, doing a quick sweep of the pack, then he raised one eyebrow. "Where's Paul?"

Every single face instantly became solemn. Embry opened and closed his mouth like a fish and finally whispered, "He's dead."

"Dead?" I asked, not comprehending.

"Yeah."

I just stared.

Seth gasped softly, pulling me to my senses. "He's the brother!" He shook my arm, eyes desperate. "We call each other brothers in the pack. She meant Paul! I remember now!"

"What the hell is he talking about?" Jared fumed.

"I'll explain later." Sam said quietly. His hand was covering his eyes and I recognized the tightness in his jaw. He was fighting to not lose his cool.

"How did he die?" I asked.

"Vampire." Yarrow, the Crescent, said. "She…she was trying to kill me. She said she was on a job to kill me and the rest of us. I tried to fight her but I was too _weak_," he spat angrily. "Paul held that _thing _off while Rachel got me out of the woods and the others went to help Paul."

"But we were too late." Quil's hands curled into fists. "When we arrived she and another vampire were standing over his body."

Two against one. Paul hadn't had a chance.

"Are they dead?" Sam half-snarled.

"Yes. We killed them. But you know what?" Embry smirked just a bit. "The male had a cell phone on him. We looked at his recently received and made calls. Guess where one was to? Italy."

"The Volturi." Seth muttered.

"Hey, guys." Jacob lumbered over. "What's up? …Where's Paul?"

It took a minute to explain things to Jacob and then he was so furious and so upset that he was shaking. "Calm down, Jake." I cautioned.

Jacob swallowed and his shaking stopped. "How's Rachel?"

The boys suddenly looked _very_ uncomfortable, glancing at each other, at me, at Jacob.

"Well, ah, she…um…" Quil stammered.

Jacob's face was full of rage as he glared down at Quil. "Where. Is. My. Sister?"

"She's…here." He said nervously.

My eyes flicked up to the light brown wolf that had been watching our exchange silently. The dark eyes met mine and a whine escaped his throat—no, not a guy. I could tell by the frame. The wolf was female, like me. It hit me.

"Oh, God! Rachel!" I pointed at the wolf who nodded in acknowledgement.

Jacob swore loudly and Rachel flinched, a whine in her throat.

"How?" Jacob asked the boys.

"She has the gene, man, just like you do." Jared pointed out.

"Dammit, you know what I mean!"

"She saw Paul's body and after crying for a minute she just lost it. She started howling after that. Took her bit to realize she was a wolf." Jared said. "She still can't transform back yet."

"Damn." Jacob muttered then weakly smiled up at Rachel. "Here to join our pack, sis?"

A low laugh rumbled in her throat. Jacob phased and the boys moved aside so he could sit by his sister. She whimpered and leaned against him. He gently ran his tail along her lower back as a soothing noise rumbled in his throat.

Rea and Lily were forced out of the pack months ago by their parents. Now it was just Rachel and me. Rage and pain. The legacy of female wolves in our pack.

* * *

**So now y'all know why it was Paul. Cuz I needed Rachel in the pack and this was the most realistic way to trigger her dormant genes. **


	47. Allies

*******************************August 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

**Alright, during this chapter there will be a LOT of new characters introduced. To make things easier, I've posted a list of their allies separate from this. It's titled _List of Allies for COTM,_OK? I'm going to have it listed for "Any" characters. It's much similar to the glossary in Breaking Dawn in the sense that it indicates mated pairs, covens, and whether or not the vampire possesses a power, but it also lists the power and all the allies including shape-shifters and witches.**

* * *

**Leah**

"Uncle Quil! Uncle Embry!" Neve hurried towards the pack, not even looking at the Crescents. Alba followed her slowly while fiddling with the long braid her hair had been put into before we left the village.

I flashed the boys a warning look. We'd tell the kids about Paul later.

"Hey, Neve." Embry reached out and gave Neve a hug.

"Guys, you'll never guess who we found hiding up there in the pack!" she grinned.

"I wasn't hiding." Alba muttered.

"Who are you?" Quil asked curiously.

Alba smiled. "Well, most people call me Dawne, third generation Alpha, and granddaughter of the high Alpha Arlin. But you can call me Alba, Uncle Quil."

Neve rolled her eyes. "Now you're just showing off."

It got very quiet. The guys gawked at her. All the Cullens who were present and the Denali clan stopped talking and turned to look at her, which made everyone else turn to look at what had warranted such a reaction. Alba glanced around and looked at me with a _help me_ expression on her face.

"Alba?" Renesmee asked in disbelief, taking a step towards me.

Alba smiled. "Hiya, Nessie."

As we knew would happen, after the initial shock at Alba's return, there was a lot of hugging and kisses planted on her cheeks and forehead from everyone who'd known her before. Lot's of "I can't believe you're alive!" She had some explaining to do, but Neve was right there with her.

All three of the very imposing Amazonians had returned, as had Huilen and Nahuel. They had also brought four other half-vampires, Nahuel's siblings, who'd sought him out after Joham had been killed by the Volturi. There were his sisters, Daniela, Anahi, Yamai, and his brother, Maiten. Maiten was Joham's last child, only four years old, and seemed particularly close to Nahuel. Anahi was the only gifted one, able to cause temporary blindness. I made a mental note to not piss her off.

Esme had laid down some ground rules about how any non-vampire guests were to be treated and, thanks to Huilen's influence over the previous years, they weren't the heartless 'goddesses' they'd been raised to be. But I could tell from the way they looked at me when I went near them that I was little better than a human in their opinion.

Two of the Egyptian Coven, Benjamin and Tia also returned, but they were alone. They hadn't seen Amun and Kebi in months, apparently they coven had grown apart after their disagreements regarding the first time they helped us. The entire Irish coven had returned with a new member, Farrell. It seemed that little Maggie had found herself a mate. Farrell was sturdy and had short, straight red hair, in contrast to Maggie's red bouncy curls and doe-like build. The real-life Draculas, aka our Romanian _friends_, had also decided to make an appearance.

"Well, well, well, Carlisle." Vladimir chuckled. "Most people don't even live through one incident with the Volturi and here you are ready to go again."

_At least they're good fighters._ I thought grimly.

Two nomads from last time, Jasper's friends, Peter and Charlotte, had returned, too, along with several other nomadic vampires.

One was a slightly stocky, thin girl with dark brown hair called Margaret. "Quite a collection." I heard her say to Neve, just loud enough for the Crescents to hear. "Are they like…pets?"

That didn't go down very well.

Charles and Makenna, two of the vampires who witnessed for the Volturi by giving Renesmee a positive vote, had also come to fight for us. I had to ask why. Charles put his arm around Makenna. "This time we've decided this side is the right one…as it was last time."

"And if that means you're fighting _with_ werewolves?"

"They've suffered more than we have in the Volturi's quest for power." Charles said. "And I hear the honesty in your words. This is right."

"Besides," Makenna smiled. "We didn't go through so much trouble five years ago to protect Renesmee to only have her die now."

They were friends with a fair-haired vampire named Jamie, another of the former Volturi witnesses, and his new mate, Hannah. She was only a few years into her immortal life. The sturdy brunette vampire scared the crap out of me by answering all my questions before I even uttered them. Jamie patiently explained that his mate could hear things before they happened.

The last of the new nomads were also a mated pair. The male, Kane, reminded me of Jasper; they had the same build, though his hair was black, it was the same length, and there was something in his cold expression that reminded me of the empathic vampire. His mate, Elizabeth, was a very thin girl with freckles peppering her skin, waist length red hair, and a bright look in her crimson eyes.

Kane regarded the Crescents with open resentment. "We're here to take down the Volturi and help some werewolves." I heard him grumble to Elizabeth. "Why do we have to babysit a bunch of kids?"

The witches got on surprisingly well with most of the vampires. A few of the ones old enough to remember the days before the witches migrated away were happy to hear the race hadn't died out completely. A few of them actually had employed witch services before.

Carlisle made all the vampires go into Canada or southern Alaska to hunt so as not to attract unwanted attention or get too close to the werewolf village.

Since there were over twenty of us who needed to eat actual food, Esme made anyone and everyone with cooking skills help her put together meals. Our cooking force was comprised of Esme, myself, Neve, Rame, Jamie, Hulien, Nahuel, Anahi, Carmen, Sash, and once Rachel was able to shift back she joined the force, too. I was surprised when Margaret and Elizabeth ventured into the kitchen while we were making dinner on our third night back and asked to be put to work. They'd never struck me as the cooking types. Usually Margaret enjoyed antagonizing the Crescent pack and Elizabeth seemed to like exploring the property, not caring either way about the daily life of the residents. As it turned out, Margaret was an exceptionally good cook and had some ideas that turned out well. Elizabeth wasn't exceptional but she worked inexplicably quicker than the others.

"Elizabeth, give me the bowl of vegetables when you're done, please." Esme said one night as we prepared dinner. I was walking towards the stove with a bowl of stew in my hands. I automatically glanced over.

It appeared Elizabeth hadn't heard her at first, but then I saw the knife that was chopping the carrots go still on it's side and the carrot slices floated up, landing in the bowl. I stared. The bowl floated over the heads of everyone in the way and landed by Esme. The bowl of stew I was holding slipped through my fingers. Elizabeth turned, flicking her hand out at the same time. The bowl froze, hovering in midair, and then it floated back to my hands and waited.

I gawked at the redhead then at the bowl and, with shaky hands, I gripped it again, then I stared at her again.

Elizabeth cocked her head to one side. "What?"

I just shook my head and went back to work.

Before the week was up, we had two more nomads, Xander and Juliet, come in and Edward, Bella, Rosalie, and Emmett had returned. They were shocked when they found out the strange but familiar girl in animal skins was actually Alba. Alistair showed up, too, towing a friend of his named Niles.

"Glad you came, Alistair." Carlisle said warmly.

"It's suicide," Alistair grumbled. "But I've already done enough for you and these wolves that I'm going to be a target anyway. I might as well just face it and go down fighting."

Then the werewolves started coming. First one, then two, then a small pack, and more and more came, eyeing the vampires rigidly, carefully, but too determined to avenge their lost family and friends to care about the species of their comrades in arms. A week after Seth sent the dream we had no less than fifty werewolves (mostly Changelings, Halflings, and various types of lesser mutts, plus a few purebloods) making camp in the forests around the house. The vampires started complaining about the stench.

Then we had the problem of the shape-shifters that had been found. A clan of leopard shape-shifters, two mountain lions, a clan of tiger shifters, a flock of eagle shifters, and a small pack of coyote shifters wandered in, sent by Alice and Jasper. There was simply no room for all of them.

Seth honed his "super dream powers" (people started calling him Sandman, especially once his fur color became known) and told Arlin that we would be sending all of our shape-changing fighters up to them. Arlin agreed. Alba and Scuro guided all of them north and were back before sundown.

And, last but not least, there were three new Crescents. Two middle school girls, Christie and Bryn, were already active Crescents. They were nearly identical, strawberry hair and green eyes. With them was Tucker, a thirteen-year-old a blonde boy with gray eyes who was eagerly awaiting the full moon so he could become active, too. According to Tucker, the entire Crescent pack was suspected of being runaways and their parents were pleading for them to return home.

"You know," Alba paced around the Crescents, looking them up and down. "The werewolves have ways fore classifying themselves based on moon cycles. Humans are considered New Moons because the moon is not lit during that phase. Crescent moons only have a little showing, representing the bit of werewolf you display. Half Moons represent Halflings. Gibbous Moons represent Changelings, not quite as powerful as born-wolves, but close. And, of course, born-wolves with two werewolf parents are considered full moons."

"Interesting," Hawthorn muttered. "But…um…why do we need to know that?"

Alba smiled at them. "Do you know what happens when one of my people bites you?"

They shook their heads.

"You keep the full moon's senses, agility, strengths and speed all the time. When you 'transform' your strength and speed will increase even more, your nails will become claws, your teeth will sharpen, you'll be telepathic, and your eyes will become silver. And, something else…but I think I'll leave that one as a surprise." She grinned.

"Is it…bad?"

"Not really, no."

They all looked at each other, then Foxglove walked forward and held out her arm. "Bite me."

I wasn't the only one who laughed. But Foxy was serious. Alba tilted her head. "It might be a good idea…you wouldn't be so vulnerable…and you could actually _fight_…"

"Alba, are you sure that's what'll happen?" I asked sharply before any of them got carried away.

Alba nodded. "Yes. I was taught all these things."

"Well…if they want it…then I guess we have no right to say no…"

Ok, maybe we should've got permission from Jacob or Carlisle first. We had some major explaining to do, of course, when they all became unconscious in the same way that Sash had during his pre-transformation stage. Their body temperatures didn't escalate like his had, but other than that everything was the same. The vampires watched them, some wary, some curious. Margaret thought it was funny to prod one of them with her foot every time she could get close enough.

When midnight came and their skins heated up (not as severely as Sash's had), we carried them outside and made sure all the vampires stayed in the house just in case the Crescents reacted like Sash had. I could feel their eyes watching us from behind all the windows with view of the front yard.

Both packs surrounded them like a barrier and Tucker waited just behind the shelter of Jacob's body. As soon as the clouds cleared and moonlight touched their bodies they all gasped in unison and their eyes opened and they stared up at the waxing moon.

…That was pretty much it. No rippling skin, no bones breaking; no screams, no pain, nothing, except for a series of strange _snap! _sounds. They slowly got to their feet. Their eyes gleamed silver, their teeth were pointed, their nails sharpened to claws. Their ears were pointed and slightly furry at the tips and, visible from under the hems of skirts and poking out from the tips of pants, were tails. Each Crescent had a fluffy (or not so fluffy) tail protruding from their rear ends, at the base of their spines.

It was funny, watching the thirteen Changed Crescents struggling to extract their tails, newfound tails, from their various bottom garments. They matched each person's hair color and texture. Barley's was brunette and straight-furred, while Eaglewood's was more smooth than straight. Foxglove's was ginger and wavy. Bryn and Christie's were strawberry blonde and slightly curly. Yarrow's was sleek and black, Sage's was the same shade, but curlier, and Paprika's fur was just a shade lighter, but straight as nails. Valerian's was blonde and fluffy; Catnip's was sleek.. Briar's was chocolaty brown and curly, Mint's was like dark chocolate and very bushy, while Hawthorn's was almost dusky and more wavy than curly.

A run through the woods that night proved Alba's words. They were fast, agile, strong and for whatever reason, the thirteen human bodies didn't look out of place amongst the sixteen wolf bodies. But the tails were adorable.

The next afternoon, only five days until battle and one night until the full moon, I found Sash sitting alone in Esme's garden with an expression I was very familiar with. His hair was longer, scruffier than it usually was, and lately he'd been favoring the shirtless look the guys of the packs did.

"Hey." I sat down next to him and leaned against the tree. He didn't respond and I took that to mean he was in deep thought. I rested my head on his shoulder and stared out into the trees. There was no wildlife lurking out there. The combination of all the vampire scents created a natural animal repellant.

Suddenly, he leaned down and kissed my lips. He pulled back before I could really respond.

"I'm worried." He said murmured, looking into my eyes.

"You'd be insane if you weren't."

He sighed and wrapped his arms around me. "Is it wrong that I want to run?" he whispered to me. "Is it wrong that I just want to get up now and run away with you, away from the fighting and just be safe?"

I shook my head. "You can't help what you feel, but we have to stay. We have to fight. This is what we were born to do."

"I know." He sighed. "But still…"

Alice and Jasper returned an hour before sunset with three vampires and two housecats, a gray tabby and a tortoiseshell, nearly the size of golden retrievers.

"This is Miki," Alice gestured to the tall female with Asian features black hair. "Rebecca," She gestured to the other female, slightly smaller than Miki, with copperish skin and black hair, then to a young man with red hair. "Travis. This is Blythe and Evan." She pointed to the two cat-shifters who trilled out greetings in cat-speak.

"I take it that you were unable to contact Maria." Carlisle said.

Jasper's face was grim. "We tried. We were nearly there when Alice had a vision. She saw one of the guards telling Maria where and when her army had to rendezvous before the vision got cut off by something."

I'd be willing to bet money that the 'something' had been Luna. Aro was probably using her to keep a lot of things hidden.

"She's probably been offered an official pardon if she helps them." Elizabeth muttered darkly. I glanced around, locating the redhead, perched at the top of the stairs. "Her and all the other idiots that still create armies…Great. Just great. We're going to have a horde of newborns to deal with."

"I know. That means training time." Jasper growled then shook his head and asked no one in particular, "How many werewolves came?"

"Over fifty." Alba reported promptly.

Alice's head snapped around. "Who are you?"

Rebecca blinked once at Alba then smiled a bit. "Hey, Alba. Wow. This must be a surprise for everyone. It really did look like you'd died that night."

"Do I know you?" Alba asked.

"Well, you do now."

An uncomfortable silence followed until Elizabeth and Kane started laughing.

"Oh, hey, guys." Rebecca smiled brightly and waved to them. "Long time no see, eh? Glad you could make it. …Ooh, Kane, should've gone with the blue one. The red one was too flashy."

Edward looked surprised, everyone else was just confused.

It was Carlisle's idea for everyone to start practicing their fight moves and learn basic newborn fighting techniques from Jasper. On the day of the full moon everyone went outside to spar and practice his or her talents.

Margaret and Bella had decided they would team up to shield our forces before the initial battle, because once it came right down to it, there was no way they would individually be able to shield everyone during the battle.

"I want to stand by the people Jane is most likely to hit." Margaret insisted stubbornly. Jane really had issues with Bella since her shield was the first thing that had ever stopped her. Bella, in an untypical show of aggression had wanted to rub it in Jane's face again and was defending her claim.

"Look, if she hits your shield it won't do anything." Margaret pointed out. "But if her power hits _my_ shield it will bounce right back at her!"

"So she'll be the one in agony?" Kate spoke up from the sidelines of a sparring match.

Margaret nodded.

"Let her take the majority of the front lines." Farrell, the Irish vampire, insisted. "Think of the hell that'll unleash on them before they even fight!"

Margaret grinned triumphantly and Bella surrendered.

Elizabeth, Travis, and Benjamin were also coming up with an idea to eliminate some of the enemy before the battle even began. I tried to listen in, but they were talking so fast that I only caught a few words—something about a wall of fire and something about Travis burning down a barn.

Without saying a word, Hannah and Alice walked into the area where the vampires were sparring and faced each other. Alice had a vision of herself sparring with the brunette vampire who, in turn, had heard Alice asking her to practice. I pitied the first poor bastard who tried to attack them. Their battle was strange one to watch. Each knew where the other would go before they went so they were dodging, swiping, jumping so quickly that even I had a hard time keeping up with it. Eventually that match was declared a draw.

Jasper decided to take an inventory of talents. He called everyone over, even Rame, Scuro, Alba, and Neve, and for demonstrations. Eleazar walked up and down the line, pointing out everyone who had a talent then calling them forward.

Bella was first with Zafrina testing her. Suddenly, I wasn't standing in front the Cullen's Alaskan house. I was in the middle of an empty stone hallway. I shuddered and looked around at the ancient arches, the details etched into the pillars, the trickles of water sliding down the rock.

"Raise your hand when you're no longer in the hallway," Zafrina instructed.

I waited for a few seconds then I was back in the front yard and I raised my hand. I glanced around, all hands were up and Bella was smiling.

Next was Margaret. She stood in front of us and nodded to Zafrina. Nothing happened. The Amazonian vampire looked puzzled. "I see my own illusion."

"I'm a shield." Margaret explained to a very confused Zafrina who hadn't heard about her before. "Any attack thrown towards me is rebounded on the attacker."

"Ok, from now on, state your power beforehand." Jasper ordered. "So we know what to watch for."

Maggie went next. "I know if you're lying or not."

"My favorite color is blue." Jasper said.

"No it's not."

"My mate is Alice."

"Yes she is."

"Bear blood is my favorite."

"No, it's not." She practically sang her response.

I wondered how she could tell the difference between the truth and a lie. Did lies sound different to her or something? Charles went through a similar process with Jasper, then it was Anahi's turn.

The tall half-vampire sauntered forward and turned to face us. Meg and Bella moved away so her power wouldn't be repelled, then I was engulfed in darkness, complete, and utter darkness. It was boundless. There was no beginning, no end. I couldn't see anything. I opened my eyes, I shut them. No change. A whimper escaped my throat and I crouched down, almost into a fetal position. I heard the others make sounds of discomfort.

"Make the light come back," I heard Valerian whimper.

Slowly, the darkness ebbed away and I blinked a few times to make sure I could see properly.

"How'd I do?" Anahi asked, as if our uneasiness wasn't enough indication.

"That was excellent," Daniela praised her.

Excellent was not the word I would have picked, but I nodded encouragingly and straightened up.

Then it was Renesmee's turn and she requested a volunteer. Jacob walked forward but she shook her head. "Not you, Jake."

He backed away, unabashed, and Sage jogged over to her. "Alright, bring it."

Renesmee smirked and placed a single finger on the spot between his eyes. I watched as they widened and a gasp escaped through his teeth. His eyes closed and his teeth clenched. "No!" he choked out then jerked away from Renesmee, falling to his knees at the same time he shifted, the curly black tail shooting from his spine.

"What the heck?" someone muttered.

Whatever Renesmee had showed Sage had left him white as bone and scared, his tail fur fluffed up. I could hear his heart racing.

"What did you do?" Eaglewood shot her an accusing look.

"I just showed him a very horrific scene." Nessie said, her face the very picture of innocence. "I think I must've overdone it, though."

"Damn." Scuro muttered.

Sage had calmed down by then and he scurried over to his pack, tail almost literally between his legs. I raised one eyebrow at Renesmee. Miss Telepathic had some serious skills up her sleeve.

"Bella says you can break through shields." Margaret walked forward. "Try me."

Nessie placed her fingers on the vampire's forehead and we waited. Margaret sucked in a sharp breath between her teeth and backed away.

"Shit." The brunette vampire looked a bit scared and very annoyed. "She actually broke through."

Renesmee beamed.

Next up was Hannah. Jasper opened his mouth to say something and Hannah said, "Yes…No…apples…B negative…_Where the Red Fern Grows_…China."

"Scary…" Sucro muttered.

Elizabeth practically skipped forward and when she faced us I saw a teasing smirk on her face. She turned her hands so her palms were facing us.

"What's your power?" Jasper asked.

"I can make things do what I want them to," she said. "Within reason, anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"Shit!"

My head snapped around, looking for the speaker. A movement above made my eyes flick up then the rest of my head followed. Kane was hovering a few feet above our heads looking angry and a bit freaked out. Then something flashed in his eyes and he relaxed, folding his arms across his chest.

"Put me down, Ellie."

Elizabeth giggled a bit and I turned. "Hey, that's like you did with the—yeek!"

It felt like an invisible hand had curled around my midsection and was lifting me up. "Put me down!" I yelped, kicking a bit. "Put. Me. Down!"

I rose higher and higher until I was level with Elizabeth's mate. He sighed, rolling his eyes, and waved at me. "What's up?"

"Us," I managed to reply and glanced down at the ground. I shuddered. I didn't like being this high up without something supporting my feet. Leave that to the eagle-shifters.

"How's it hanging, Lee?" Sash called up. I bared my teeth at him.

Then I felt the grip around me slacken and the invisible force that held me up returned me back to the ground. Elizabeth was still smiling when she asked Jasper, "Was that enough?"

"You can levitate things," Jasper said. "What else?"

Elizabeth pointed one palm at a pine tree at the edge of the woods and clenched her fist. There was a splintering SNAP and a section of the tree trunk was crushed inward. Elizabeth lifted her hand, raised it—the tree from the ruined part up rose up and flew towards several vampires as she moved her arm. The tree froze mere feet from them, then sailed up over the house and away into the forest, landing with a loud thud moments later.

Everyone stared at her. She stared back, chin raised just a bit. Proud, daring us to speak against her.

"So…you can control…anything?" Tanya asked.

"In theory, yes." Elizabeth said. "But in actuality? No. I can do things, but I have to channel the power the right way and I've found that using a body motion helps things go my way. On occasion I can do things with just my mind but that has only occurred in times of extreme anger. Any other time I've tried…bad stuff happens. …But, as far as I've seen, as long as I have sufficient channeling, I can do…almost anything."

"Could make some of them kill each other?" Siobhan asked.

Elizabeth made a face. "I'm not exactly sure how to explain…. I could make the body of Kate fight you, but I cannot make _Kate_ fight you."

"You influence the body, not the mind." Eleazar elaborated. "Nothing you do is illusion. It is all physical."

Elizabeth nodded, seemingly relieved that someone understood. "And if I control a body, it's like moving an electronic doll the wrong way. I can _try_ to make it do what I want, but there's another force always working to do what it's programmed. It's happened before. I've lost control over someone."

Siobhan, however, was still toying with the idea. "But you still _could _do it. If you could force, say, _Aro_ to murder Caius—"

"No." Elizabeth said. "No. Aro is too old. He is too strong, his will…he would break free too quickly for me to do any damage."

The Irish vampire nodded slowly. "Then perhaps…you could cause some of them to…break."

Elizabeth shuddered. "And if I mess up and, say, hurt someone who isn't an enemy?"

Jasper raised his hand. "You potentially could immobilize some of the Volturi if you tried? Before the battle."

"Yes…"

"If you immobilized, say, Jane, Aro, and Renata for just enough time for someone else to hurt them before the fighting even starts…"

Elizabeth pursed her lips. "They have strong, strong wills. I will try, I really will, but keep this in mind: my telekinesis just another branch of my self. It feeds off my strength, my emotions. It's volatile. If I slipped up just once, _once_, I could be the reason we lose. Consider that when you include me in any battle plans. I'm only helping with the fire because Travis and Benjamin will be there to help keep things in check." And then she clammed up, looking somber, not answering any more questions, and finally slipping back into line next to her mate.

Kate went next. Yarrow idiotically volunteered to be a guinea pig and got knocked unconscious from the shocks. Kate apologized, specifically to Neve who looked ready to toss her into a fire without even ripping her apart.

_What's going on there?_ I wondered as Neve carefully carried the Crescent inside the house.

Edward didn't bother demonstrating his power. Everybody already knew. Siobhan's was impossible to view. Next was Xander, another one of the new nomads. His blonde hair was pulled up in a small ponytail much like Garret's.

"I can mimic any biological sound after I've heard it." He explained. Then he opened his mouth and he started talking to us using _our_ voices. It was nothing short of creepy to hear my voice coming of the vampire's mouth.

"It's not very useful," he said using his voice again—if that was even _his _voice, it could be another's voice that he liked more than his own—and shrugged his shoulders. "But I can still fight."

"We can make it work to our advantage somehow." Jasper said.

Next it was the turn of Travis, another redheaded vampire. He was smirking as he said proudly, "I'm pyrokinetic. I manipulate fire."

He took a deep breath and the snow around him started to hiss and then steam wafted up from the ground. Shockingly without warning, the grass around him burst into flames. They rose higher and higher, completely surrounding Travis, and then they were gone. Travis walked out of the scorched circle and the fire came back. He nodded to Benjamin.

The Egyptian vampire walked forward and the fire rose higher then a wave of snow rose up and landed on the fire, smothering it. Then the wind blew, smoothing the snow down flat. "Anyone need an earth demonstration?" Benjamin asked.

Jasper shook his head but asked Travis, "Can you extinguish your own fires?"

"Yes." He said.

"And can you, say, make a vampire spontaneously combust?"

Travis shook his head. "No. I can make fires where I can draw heat from. Vampires are too cold. But I can make a fire in front of someone and hope they run into it."

Jasper looked pleased. Travis returned to the line, standing near Elizabeth and Kane. For the first time, I realized how similar the two redheads appeared. Were they related or…

"Alistair, we all know you're a tracker." Jasper said, jerking my attention away from the vampires. "Do you feel the need to demonstrate?"

The English vampire shook his head.

"Alright. Who's next?"

"Me." Kane walked forward. "I can disintegrate things. …I need a rock or something. Unless anyone wants to be my guinea pig…?"

Benjamin, shaking his head, lifted a chunk of earth from the ground and set it down beside Kane. The black-haired vampire stared at the rock and we waited. At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then I looked down, trying to peer more closely. The bottom of the rock was crumbling away as if it was being crushed into dust by an invisible hand. Someone gasped. The whole process took only about twenty seconds. When he was done, the rock was a pile of dust and minerals that were carried away by a wind gust courtesy of either Rame or Benjamin.

"Can you do that to anything?" Jasper asked, intrigued.

"Yeah."

"Any_one_?"

"Yeah…well…I've never tried to disintegrate a cat…"

"Good!" Blythe, the cat-shifter shouted from somewhere nearby. A few people laughed.

"Hmm…" Jasper looked Kane up and down then nodded to himself. "Useful. Can you do it any faster?"

Kane nodded. "With smaller, less dense objects it's a lot easier. Bodies, for example, don't take as long. Especially human ones."

"Is the damage fixable?"

"Never tried to fix anything I've disintegrated, actually." He said.

"How long would it take for you to disintegrate, say, enough of a leg to render a vampire immobile?"

"Not very long, actually," he said. "I can also project a small field a few feet from my body. I can't hold it for long, but when we've practiced, I've managed to disintegrate at least parts of animals and objects that Ellie has thrown in."

"Does it work on multiple things at once?"

"Not very well."

Jasper nodded, looking very pleased. "Who's next?"

Kane sauntered away and Rebecca, the dark-haired, copper-skinned vampire, took his place. "I…I can't really demonstrate my power…with one look I can know the entire past of anyone."

"Did you look at all of us?" Jamie asked tersely.

"I was only trying to make sure there weren't any moles," Becca said in a tiny voice. "I wasn't trying to invade anyone's privacy…"

So what if she wasn't trying to invade anyone's privacy? I felt violated. My past was just that: _my _past. Not hers. She knew everything I'd ever said, she'd seen every time I'd cried, private moments, all the times when I just wanted to be alone. I bared my teeth and my hands curled into fists.

Rebecca looked nervous. I was not the only one who seemed angry. Only Edward, Kane, Elizabeth, Alice, and Carlisle didn't seem too bothered. Alice, actually, looked positively delighted.

"Did you get a read on me?" Margaret asked.

Rebecca nodded. Margaret cussed.

"Look, I'm not going to tell anyone anything that I saw." Rebecca assured us loudly. "I just wanted to make sure no one was going to stab me in the back!"

"She's telling the absolute truth." Maggie said, calmer now.

Rebecca threw her a grateful look.

"Rebecca?" Jasper said loudly. "You can see the past of anyone? Shield or not?"

"Yes." She smiled wickedly. "I've gone through so much dirty laundry. The Volturi have baskets full. I could find a lot more once I get to look at them all…"

Later when everyone was busy practicing, plotting, or eating, I approached Jasper. He was sitting in the living room, thinking. Alice was sitting across the room with Rebecca, both of them talking quietly.

"Why did you make everyone reveal their talents?"

He looked up at me. "Well, one, it's not a good idea to hide skills from your allies. Two, I'm deciding who should be on the front lines, who should be in the back to be in our aerial attack force."

"Oh." I sat down. "Well, who do you got so far?"

"Sam and Jacob's pack, our coven, and the werewolf Alpha, obviously, will be on the front lines." He said. "Benjamin, Travis, and Elizabeth are going to try and create a wall of fire or something along those linesso they're in the front. Margaret, definitely, Kate, Kane, Zafrina, Hannah, because I want her and Alice beside each other, Anahi, and I'm pretty sure Rebecca's going up there, too. The others will be just behind them."

"Seems reasonable, but Arlin might want other werewolves up there."

"I know, but I want a majority of them behind the vampires so their numbers can't be easily determined. All of the shape-shifters besides Sam and Jacob's packs will be mixed in with the werewolves."

"The witches?"

"Didinyla has expressly forbidden me from putting her clan on the front lines. They want to be in the back so they can take to the air. That's where I'm putting the eagles, too."

"What about the Crescents?"

"They'll be near the back." Jasper said.

"They're not going to like that much," I said.

* * *

**Neve**

Six pm.

Only a few more hours then the moon would be high in the air and it'd be time to run. From what I heard, Alice and a few others had run to a nearby city, probably Fairbanks, to get everyone clothes they could wear to fight in since we were kind of lacking in the apparel department. Most of us haven't changed outfits since we got here, not that it mattered to most of the vampires, being nomads.

The Crescents were excited, especially Tucker. He would become active under that moon. For the rest of them, it would be their first moon since their Change. I didn't want to crush their spirits but it could very well be the last full moon some of them would have. It will be the last full moon for some of the werewolves.

Foxglove apparently had already considered that. She approached me at exactly 6:01 and asked me to give her a ride into town.

"Why?"

"Because…because I want to call my Mom and Dad." She said. "And I don't want them to be able to trace the number to one of the cell phones here."

I stared at her for a long moment. She could run there on her own. She probably would enjoy the running. But she wanted me there. So, I agreed. It took me only a few minutes to get to Healy, even with Foxy on my back. We stopped just outside of town and I changed into suitable winter clothes then we headed into the more populated area, easily blending into the crowds of tourists. We were practically invisible even though I towered over almost everyone.

We went into one of the lodges and crept through the lobby into a sitting room where we found a few phones. I sat down on the couch next to Foxglove as her hand hovered over the phone. And that was the reason why she wanted me to go with her.

"It's your last chance, Foxy." I murmured.

"I don't know what to say, now."

"Tell them you love them, tell them that you're sorry you had to leave, tell them you might never see them again but that if it's meant to be then you will see them again. Tell them who you are. Tell them that you're in love; tell them that he's nice."

Foxy pressed her lips together and smiled just a bit, then she picked up the phone and dialed a phone number. I heard it ring a few times then a woman answered the phone.

"_Hello?"_ she sounded unsure, probably clueless about who'd be calling from Alaska.

Foxglove opened her mouth then closed it. She opened it again and it closed just as quickly.

"_Hello? Who is this?"_

Foxglove mouthed the word, "Mom."

"Go on," I whispered.

"_Hello?"_

"Mom." Foxglove croaked quietly then she cleared her throat. "Mom."

The woman, Foxglove's mother, was silent, then she gasped. _"Megan?"_

Foxy's lip quivered.

"_Megan?"_ her mother repeated. I gave Foxy a look.

"Hi, Mom," Foxy said.

"_Oh my God, Megan, are you alright? Where are—why are you in _Alaska_? Were you kidnapped? Do you need me to call the police?"_

"No, Mom, don't call the cops. Please. I wasn't kidnapped." Foxy swallowed. "I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for abandoning you guys for Grandma and Grandpa, but I had to. You'll never understand Mom, and that's a good thing. You don't belong where I am."

"_Honey, what are you talking about?"_

"I'm part werewolf, Mom. That's why I had to leave you guys. There were others like me and I felt them, sensed them, and I had to go to them and you wouldn't come with me. Something's happened, Mom, and this might be the last time I ever talk to you again. There are evil things in this world and they want all werewolves dead. That means they want me dead, too. We're going to fight them. Mom, I might die very soon."

"_Megan, what on earth—"_

"Don't interrupt, please, I don't have long," Foxy insisted. "I sound crazy, I know, but you've got to believe me. Don't be sad and don't be scared. Be happy for me because even if I die, I'll die knowing who I really am. I'm Foxglove now, but sometimes they call me Foxy. Nickname, you know? I'm a Crescent, the weakest type of werewolf there is but a werewolf all the same. I've got a tail! Can you believe it? And…I'm in love, Mom. His name is Hawthorn. He's a pain in the ass but he's never hurt me and he never will. If we live, I'll bring him to meet you in exactly one month, on the first night of the full moon. If I don't come then I died in the battle." She paused for a second and then drawing in a deep breath whispered. "I need you to promise me something."

Her mother was silent, probably wondering whether if her daughter was insane or maybe, just maybe, she was right. Finally she asked, _"What?"_

"Promise me that you will not make a big deal about it if I never return. I don't want them to find you, because Mom, because they'll kill you."

"_Who will?"_

"I can't tell you." She glanced up at the clock. "I need to go. I have to get back to my pack before the moon gets too high. I shouldn't even be here now."

"_Megan, wait! What…what _pack_?"_

"I'm not Megan anymore, Mom. I'm Foxglove. I love you. Tell Dad I love him too. Bye Mom."

She hung up and we sat in silence for a few minutes. Fat tears trickled down her cheeks. I wasn't sure what to say. Finally she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "Let's scram before the moon gets any higher."

"Are you alright?"

Foxglove stood up. "I won't be alright until I feel the heat from the pyres of our enemies."

"Very poetic," I said.

* * *

**Leah**

Celbra was distraught…I could feel her agony in streams of moonlight. She hated to see her children in such fear; she hated knowing so many would be going to their deaths.

And I was supposed to be her Warrior. I was supposed to stop all of this.

_What do you want me to do_? I screamed. _I don't know what I'm supposed to do! Tell me!_

I expected not to get an answer. I'd asked her questions before as I ran under the moonlight but never, not once, had I received any reply from her. Until that night.

The voice that flowed into my head was soft like a cat's and tenderly warm like the voice of a proud new mother. It made me want to shout, to sing, and to cry at the same time. It made me feel like I was in my mother's arms again. _Be strong, have courage, face it head on. Have mercy on those who have no control. Have vengeance on those who slaughtered my Children. You may not share blood with them but they are just as much my Sons and Daughters as you are._

_Why me?_ I asked. _There are thousands of wolves you could've chosen._

_There is only one you, my daughter. You are exactly what my people need. I… have never done anything of the sort before, but now I must ask for forgiveness._

_Why?_

_I made sure your cousin Emily was born as the perfect mate for Sam because I saw the future as it would have been if you two had been mates. I couldn't allow it. You suffered for our people even when you didn't know it. You fought the grief that threatened to crush you, you fought to protect the little ones who are not your own, you have suffered agony all for this. My child, you have been slowly becoming my Warrior since you first learned the legends of how your people came to be._

_You…you're the reason that Sam…_ A shudder rocked through my body. Then I felt Sash's flank brush against me. His yellow eyes were questioning. He wouldn't be able to hear me until the moon had passed its zenith so I smiled the best I could.

_I also gave you him._ Celbra murmured. _Alexander, the One who is like Fire, to light the way for the Warrior. _

_Thank you._ I told Celbra. _I hate your methods…but…it's better this way. _

_That it is, my child. _

_Please, do me a favor. Be happy. I can feel you're sadness. We all can._

The pain in the moonlight was almost instantly replaced by the warm, happy feelings I was used to wallowing in. I howled.


	48. Before the Storm

*******************************August 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

**********************************I hope you all enjoy this chapter and all it's serious, funny, OHEMGEE DUDE, and "o_o wtf is that for?" moments. Enjoy the...happy(ish) mood while you can... cuz next chapter...tee hee. ^^ CLARE! DON'T TELL EM!**

* * *

**Leah**

At dawn everyone would start heading to the valley where we intended to fight. Sam, Esme, and Carlisle were in the werewolf village going over some last minute details with Arlin and would be running with the wolves to the valley.

From what I heard, Arlin had decided not to send all his people into battle. The wolves under three years, the two pregnant she-wolves and their mates, the wolves over a thousand years old, some mated pairs to act as bodyguards, and the Shamans would not be fighting. They'd already evacuated to a safe place somewhere in northern Canada. That docked us about a hundred fighters. I understood why they'd decided to do that, even if I didn't like the fact we'd lost able-bodied warriors. The Children of the Moon needed some hope if the battle failed.

The evening before we would head out, the mood around the house betrayed how everyone was really feeling without Jasper around to give a constant eagerness boost. Sad, foreboding… At first I thought the relative quietness around the grounds was because a few of the vampires had gone hunting. Jacob didn't like the fact so many had wandered off and I headed out into the woods to patrol for any enemies. After about an hour there were others in the mindlink and I decided to clock out.

As I was walking through Esme's garden towards the house I caught the scent of two vampires lurking aboveme. I looked up, scanning the branches of the trees. About forty yards up, Kane and Elizabeth were sitting up in the tree. From what I could tell, she was leaning against him and he had his arms around her.

"Hey." I called to them.

Elizabeth lifted her head off his chest and looked down blankly at me for a moment then closed her eyes and shifted closer to her mate, tucking her head under his chin. If I hadn't known any better I would've thought she was asleep. Kane looked like he was considering kicking my ass and not wanting to get fragmentized, I hurried away. That's when I started to notice the others.

Siobhan and Liam were sitting together on one of the benches; Charles and Makenna were on the porch swing. They weren't talking they were just sitting there. Jamie and Hannah were on the roof, talking so softly and quickly that I couldn't make out what they were saying. Peter and Charlotte, Maggie and Farrell, Kate and Garret, too, had found secluded spots and were either talking or just sitting there. The half-vampire siblings were playing a card game at the kitchen table. I could hear Edward and Bella talking in their room. Jacob had his arm around Renesmee as they sat on the couch, staring into the fire. On the rug in front of the fire, the cat-shifter siblings were sitting together, purring softly, tails twined. In the basement, Neve, Alba, Rame, and Scuro were in the den talking with the Crescents.

I walked to my room. Most of the furniture was gone, including three fourths of the beds, so most of us were sleeping on the floor with blankets and pillows. That included me. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable, but I'd fallen asleep on the bare forest floor more than once so discomfort wasn't new. I sat down on my makeshift bed and sighed, staring up at the window near the ceiling. It was completely covered by snow.

_What I wouldn't give for some sunlight._ I thought glumly.

"Mind if I join you?"

I spun around, jumping into a crouch in the same movement. Then I relaxed. Sash was peering out of my closet, smiling just a bit. I hadn't even noticed him lurking in there. I smiled at him.

"Are the vibes making you nostalgic, too?" I teased.

He nodded gravely, but there was a small smile on his face. He crawled out of the closet and propped one of the pillows against the wall. He leaned against it and after a second I settled down next to him and rested my head on his shoulder.

The last time we were just sitting like this in this room…he'd been a human with inhuman dreams, so much smaller and frailer than me. Things had sure changed.

"You're thinking about something." He murmured.

"Obviously." I glanced up at him. "What was your first clue? Was it me staring into space or the expressions on my face?"

"Both."

"Two things cannot be first. One of them had to be the first clue and the other had to be the second."

"Now you're just being difficult."

"Obviously. What was your first clue? Was it my expression or my tone?"

"Both—gah! Don't even say it, Leah!"

I grinned deviously at him.

"I'm a bad influence on you." He muttered, half to himself.

I giggled.

God, how long had it been since I really _giggled_? Days…weeks…? I would be glad when this whole thing was over…as long as Sash was alive…and the rest of the pack. Losing Paul was bad enough. Rachel didn't get a chance to imprint—or whatever it is the female shape-shifters did—on Paul after she phased because, well, you can't imprint on a dead body—that would be seriously fucked up. So, at least, she would have a chance to heal her heart and find love. Unless she gave up her wolf, she would have years and years to find someone new. Maybe a werewolf like I had, maybe another shape-shifter… or maybe she'd find a human so the threat of her mate imprinting on another wouldn't be looming overhead.

"You're thinking again."

"Well, if I wasn't thinking that would be very bad, don't you think?"

"I guess. Penny for your thoughts?"

"Maybe not the best expression to use."

Sash tilted his head, confused. I saw understanding flash in his eyes and he frowned. "Right. Nickel for your thoughts?"

"Sure."

He waited.

"You have to pay up front."

He sighed dramatically and reached his hands into his pockets. His expression grew worried. "Uh oh, I think I may be fresh out of nickels."

"Then you're fresh out of luck, too."

"Can I give you and IOU?"

"Nope." I said, popping the 'p.'

He sighed, "Very well. I didn't want to do this, but you've forced me to take drastic measures."

I raised an eyebrow. "Drastic measures?"

"Yes." With that he started to tickle my sides until I was gasping and laughing.

"Alright! Alright! I surrender! I'll tell! I was thinking about Rachel."

"What about her?"

"I'm just wondering what she'll do after all this." I sighed. "I hope she'll be happy again."

"Agreed. I can't imagine what it must've been like for her seeing his body like that and then next thing, she realizes she's a giant wolf."

I could imagine. She'd replayed it plenty of times while I was in the mindlink with her, not intentionally, of course. I could feel her pain. I guess what goes around comes around.

"And I'm wondering what everyone will do afterwards."

Sash tilted his head. "Well, hmm. All the vampires who survive will undoubtedly just go on with their eternal lives. I'm sure the Cullens will settle down somewhere like normal. Jacob's going to stay with them unless Renesmee feels like setting out then he'll follow her like a puppy. Seth…I'm not sure."

"Me neither."

"The kids will probably stay with you." He said. "I have no clue what the Crescents will do. The werewolves might try to colonize elsewhere or make smaller nomadic packs. If it were up to me, I'd send some wolves out to find humans willing to become werewolves. Change 'em."

"What will you do?"

"I'm staying with you, of course." He smiled. "I've got nowhere else to go."

"That's my fault." I sighed.

"No, Leah, it's not." His voice was hard. "You didn't do anything except give me a future."

I gazed at him doubtfully.

He shifted his arm so it was around my waist. "Hey, Lee, listen. I don't regret anything, you hear me? I'm glad I met you. Yeah I got dragged into this and most of my family got massacred—"

I winced.

"But I also got to join this amazing supernatural world. It's got its bad sides, obviously, but I love the perks."

"Perks?"

"Speed, strength, good senses, fast healing, no more aging…you…" he smiled. "And, don't forget Leah, this was meant to happen. You heard Alida—this was I was born for. I would've become a werewolf anyway and Penny would've become a vampire somehow—hey, now what's that look for?"

But I wasn't even paying attention to him anymore. What he'd said, what Aldia said, and what Celbra had told me the night before swirled around in my mind.

"Luna." I said aloud.

"What?"

"She…oh this is seriously messed up." I leaned away from him and put my head in my hands. "If all of this was going to happen no matter what, then Luna never really had a choice. She was _born_ to betray us."

Sash was silent then he made a disgusted noise. "You're right. That is screwy."

"I hate this," I snarled. "No matter what I done, I've not really had free will. It was decided centuries ago that I would do it."

Sash pulled me back onto the pillows and tucked my hair behind my ear. "It's kind of pissing me off, too, but just don't think about it. …You look bushed, get some sleep."

I sighed and rearranged my pillows then burrowed under the blankets. He hesitated for a second then climbed under them, too, and pulled me close. I fell asleep listening to his heart and, for the first time in this house, not with the smell of vampires stinging at my nose.

* * *

**Neve**

Yarrow fingered the tip of one of his teeth curiously. "What do you think they can cut through?"

His voice was slightly rougher in this state, raspy. He also seemed more comfortable when crouched down or hunched over than when he was standing up. Ducky, after going into evil scientist mode, theorized that was because their bones changed shifted a bit when they phased. Plus their teeth sharpened to points like mine and their nails extended and narrowed into sharp claws. They were as strong and fast as we were in our wolf forms and their hair was longer. Their irises turned silver like mine did when I was a pup on the night of the full moon. Oh, and of course, my favorite part: they sprouted tails. I liked Yarrow's. Sleek and glossy black, just like his hair, but kind of fluffy too.

I shrugged. "If they're like my teeth then they can bite through almost anything." I flashed him a toothy smile.

Yarrow's eyebrows went up and he looked at the couch. His tail twitched.

"Do it." I dared. The others looked at him expectantly.

He smirked and leaned over, sinking his teeth into the arm of the sofa. His teeth pierced the thick fabric with ease then he jerked away. "Yuck!"

We roared with laughter except for Christie, one of the newer Crescents, who frowned at him from behind a curtain of strawberry hair. "Do you know how many people have touched that? And you just put your mouth on it!"

Bryn rolled her eyes. They were almost identical, but as far as personalities went…well, they were as different as Leah and Martha Stewart.

"Yes I did." Yarrow said. "And it tasted gross."

Christie rolled her eyes. She was having a hard time adjusting to the Crescent pack's laid-back style. She'd learn eventually, assuming she didn't die tomorrow. The thought wiped the smile off my face and I looked around at the occupants of the room.

Barley, Eaglewood, Sage, Mint, Catnip, Foxglove, Hawthorn, Briar, Yarrow, Bryn, Christie, Tucker, Rame, Scuro, and Alba. I knew the chances of everyone in this room living to see tomorrow night were slim to none and I silently cursed myself for dragging the Crescents into this. Of course, they could've left and hid, but they chose to fight with us.

I looked at an empty spot beside the couch. Luna should've been sitting there, smiling, ready to go to war, fighting _with_ us. Instead she was somewhere else, probably on her way to kill us. The very thought made me want to cry. How had we not noticed how angry she was on the inside? How had it come to this? How had we just pushed her away?

_Oh Luna…why? Why did you do this? Why do you want us dead? I love you, sister. I'm so sorry for everything._

But there was no one to hear me.

* * *

**Foxglove**

So we're probably going to die tomorrow. Cool. No big.

According to some of the vampires anyway. I, however, do not particularly like the thought of dying in the next twenty-four hours.

Alba, Rame, Scuro, and Neve are sleeping together on a mound of sheets and pillows—something they apparently did as pups. God, when I look at them I just can't believe they're not even old enough to be in kindergarten yet. I wonder if their sister looks like them. I saw her human form in the forest last month, but I wasn't close enough to really get a good look at her. I do, however, remember seeing her silvery blonde hair, much like Neve's. They never really explained to us why Luna is on the Volturi's side and I can't help but wonder what made her cross over to the dark side.

A strange mental image of a figure in a black cloak wielding glowing red light saber pops into my head and I snort.

"Hey, Foxy, you alright?" Hawthorn raises his head.

I really should be sleeping now. I'll need all my strength for tomorrow. We're all sleeping in the den so the cat and wolf shape-shifters can have the other bedrooms down here.

I smile at him. He looks so strange without the artificially colored hair I've grown accustomed to, but brown hair looks nice on him.

"I'm fine." I whisper back. "Just thinking."

He scoots closer to me. "Maybe you shouldn't think so much. You'll never fall asleep."

"I can't help it." I sigh. "We're probably going to die tomorrow. I don't want to die, especially not without making sure everyone else is safe."

"Yeah, well, I don't want to die without getting laid." Barley announces a bit more loudly than necessary.

A few people snicker and I hear vampires laughing upstairs.

"Go to sleep, Robert." Eaglewood mumbles, too tired to remember we didn't go by our birth names anymore. That or she just wants to scold him. She gives her brother a good kick.

Hawthorn laughs quietly then scoots the rest of the way and pulls me close to his chest. I sigh, for once I don't care about keeping up my tough girl façade, and since we're probably going to die soon, now is probably the best time to just say it.

"Hawthorn I…if we survive this, I don't care whatever anyone else does afterwards," I whisper, "I'm staying with you."

He smiles, it's warmer and happier than I've ever seen. "Please don't kill me for this." He mutters then leans down and kisses me like he did a few weeks ago after our sparring match.

"Do you still hate me?" he whispers.

I shake my head. "No…I never did. You're amazing—"

"That's what she said." Someone whispers.

I roll my eyes. "I love you, Hawthorn. I admit it, I love you, alright?"

"Well, it's about damn time." Barley is being uncharacteristically loud tonight.

"Shut up, idiot, you're ruining the moment." Catnip hisses.

"I'm just being honest."

"Well be quiet about it!" Mint snaps.

"You're killing the romance." Christie adds.

"Romance?" Bryn asks, awake again. "Who?"

"Hawthorn and Foxy, _chica_. _Están en el amor_." Sage sighs theatrically.

I sigh and put my hand on my forehead.

* * *

**Luna**

"You will have to kill your brothers, and sister, in your case Neve." Jane says calmly from across the isle.

Penny and I glance at each other. Of course we know. Personally, I'm hoping someone else takes care of them. My main goal is Sash—kind of ironic since his sister is my best friend. She probably suspects I'll try to kill him, but she has her own issues with my family so we've got an unspoken understanding.

"We know." Penny answers flatly. "I just don't plan to be the one who rips Sash's throat out. I'm sure you can understand why." She looks pointedly at Alec. "Would you kill him if Aro told you to?"

"Aro wouldn't."

"_If_ he did?"

"If he did then Alec would be a traitor." She says tightly.

"You're avoiding the question." I say.

Jane flashes me a dark look. "Yes. I would. He would do the same."

There's something in her eyes; I think she's lying. I don't press it and neither does Penny. My dark-haired friend takes out her silver knife and examines it by means of turning the blade around. I growl and shift away from her in the seat. She pauses and I see my eyes, glowing yellow, glaring frightfully back at me. Penny quickly puts it away.

"Sorry."

I look down at my watch and sigh.

"You need sleep, young one." Aro is walking up from his seat in front of the plane.

It's much easier to travel from Italy to Alaska by plane, especially when there are so many of us. I'd always known most vampires hated my kind, but it shocked me how many volunteered to join our side. A few of them, Amun and Kebi from Egypt, and two nomads Mary and Randall, had actually been on the Cullens side last time, according to Jane. They must really hate werewolves to side with the Volturi over their old Cullen friends. Either that or Chelsea _persuaded_ them to join our cause.

"I'm not tired." I tell him and smile.

Aro sighs fondly. I'm almost like a pet to him. "You need to rest, Luna. You need energy."

"You're not going to shave my head while I'm out, right?" I arch an eyebrow. "Or put whipped cream on my face then tickle my nose?"

"I won't let them." Penny assures me.

I heave a sigh. "Alright, but switch me seats. I can get some moonlight while I rest."

We swap seats and I push the blind up. We're still over the ocean but the mainland can't be too far off. The moon sits proudly in the sky, her light shining down. The moment I feel the light touch my skin my muscles lock up. I feel the hatred, loathing, and murderous rage of every werewolf that has died by a vampire's hand assaulting me like heavy stones. They hate me. They want me to die. They're using Celbra to let me know.

I cry out in pain and I feel tears trickle down my face.

I hear the window slide shut and the assaults end, but I can still feel the lingering fury as my muscles slowly relax.

"What happened?" Aro asks sharply.

"I…I…" I whisper and pull my legs up into the seat. "Don't open the window again."

Aro stares at me with an unreadable expression then he pulls my cloak down from the baggage storage above us and drapes it over me like a blanket.

"Rest, Luna." He urges. "We'll be there soon."

Right now, rest seems heavenly.

* * *

**Leah**

Morning came all too soon.

Tanya woke us up; I took a quick shower and put on a tank top and some jean shorts. When I got up stairs I was shocked to see that the occupants of the household looked like oversized school children in uniforms! Apparently the vampires on our side were going to be dressed similar so the werewolves wouldn't confuse them with the enemy. Jeans and dark jackets provided by the Cullens, plus whatever shirt each individual vampire wanted. Shoes were optional, apparently, because some of them were barefoot.

Those of us who would be in animal form for the duration of the fighting weren't getting anything special—we just had to wear phasing clothes.

The groups started to leave. It was an attempt to scatter our adversaries if they trailed us and hopefully delay a few. Each group had at least one person who knew the rout.

As we ate breakfast I watched the news on TV. All the human problems and worries seemed so trivial compared to what we were about to face.

"…_And in other news, astronomers announced that an unexpected solar eclipse will occur today in Alaskan and the northern Canadian regions around noon. Be sure to not look at the sun and…"_

I choked on my eggs. I pounded my chest a few times and managed to swallow then I gasped down air. Everyone in the room stared at me.

"There's an eclipse today."

Seth was the first to get what I meant. His hand tightened around the fork. Alba put her hand over her mouth.

The second to last group consisted of Alistair, cat-shifters, Maggie, Benjamin, Margaret, Kane, Elizabeth, Kate, Farrell, Sash, Seth, Rebecca, and me. Jasper was adamant about my brother and I being fiercely guarded and having no one in our group that Demetri would be tracking. If the Prophecy was true in its entirety, then it would be us that finished the battle. Somehow.

We headed west, through forests, across open land, skirting around towns and cities. The sun rose steadily higher in the sky, creeping towards the waiting moon. The light reflected off the vampires' skin like crystal. I couldn't help it; I pictured sinking my teeth into glittering flesh like I would in just a few hours and ripping, tearing, shredding.

_Very nice thoughts_, Seth thought.

_I can't wait._ Sash growled. _I'm going to kill that bitch Jane for what she did to my family._

_Get in line._ I warned him. _Pretty much our entire army wants to personally murder her._

He growled loudly. The vampires looked at him then out into the surrounding trees.

"What is it?" Alistair asked.

I shook my head.

"Don't growl unless there's a problem." Elizabeth said crossly.

It took us about thirty minutes and then we were there. Seth made a strangled yelping noise.

_Seth? _

_This is the place I saw in my dream._ He shuddered.

I bumped his shoulder with my own. _Hey, you ok? _

Seth nodded his big head and pulled his lips back, letting out a fierce snarl then plunged down out of the trees, heading for the werewolves, shape-shifters, witches, Crescents, and that made up our army. Seeing everyone together made me feel really empowered.

How could we lose?

I phased back and got my clothes back on. I was to be on the front lines with the most talented vampires, the Alphas, and most of the shape-shifters. The multitude of werewolves waited behind us, all in human form. Behind them in the trees were the bird shape-shifters and the Crescents. From my position several hundred yards away I couldn't see what it was, but there were defiantly some things up in the trees with them.

I looked at Sam's pack. They were ready to take revenge for Paul. Rachel, now human-formed, stood tensely, her eyes fixed on the point where the foes would arrive from.

The Cullens and the Denali coven stood just down the line from them. Lord Arlin, Carletta, and Rayer stood just beside Carlisle. Renesmee stood between her mother and Jacob who, just on the other side of Rachel and Seth. Sash stood on my other side. Scuro, Rame, and Neve waited to his left. Other vampires waited down the line, including Elizabeth, Benjamin, and Travis. Elizabeth had a blowtorch in her hands.

"How much time do we have?" Sash asked Seth. Seth checked the sky.

"I'd give the eclipse about a half hour, but I have no idea when they will arrive. I didn't see."

"Not long." Alice said. "Then their futures disappear. That's when they'll run into the lookouts."

I glanced around again then I gasped. "Where's Alba?"

Arlin leaned forward so I could see him. "My granddaughter volunteered as a lookout."

"So, how's this going down?" Sash asked.

"We're going to try to halt their advance." Carlisle said. "It worked last time."

"Carlisle, everyone here has come for blood." I said. "No pun intended. But no one will tolerate a diplomatic resolution. We want their deaths as much as they want ours."

"But maybe not all of them." Esme said. "We may be able to talk a few of them onto our side. …Perhaps even Luna and Penelope."

Sash stiffened beside me.

I nodded once and looked ahead again. I listened to the murmurings of everyone behind me. There were plenty of "I love yous" in several languages, not just English and werewolf, encouragement, and words I couldn't even understand. Sash put his arm around my waist and pulled me directly to his side. He kissed my hair and I smiled up at him.

"Siobhan," Carlisle called. "Make sure you think long and hard about our victory."

There was a smile in Siobhan's voice. "If I have my way, they will all burn in hell."

A few people laughed.

A chorus of howls rang out in the distance and my breath caught in my throat. The howls cut off abruptly and there was a distinct yelp of pain from in the trees on the far side of the plain.

A minute later I relax a bit when I see the lookout patrol tearing out of the forest. Their pelts were bristled, ears flat, tails curled. Alba was brining up the rear with the injured wolf.

They phased back when they reach us and loose garments which I assume are for the comfort of our non-werewolf allies were thrown over all of them except for the one injured wolf. He lay on the ground, bleeding from a wound on his chest. Ugly silver lines spread out from the lesion. The part of his face not covered by his long blonde hair was contorted with pain.

Carlisle knelt down beside him. "They're armed with silver?" he asked.

"Yes," Alba said, all business. "Jatu was closest to them. Do you have the cure? He only has minutes left!"

"I do, it's in my bag by the Crescents."

The word was spread from one person to another, from wolf vampire to wolf, to wolf, in both languages. I watched the ripple in the crowd as the Children of the Moon passed the silver antidote from the back to the front, placing it in Carlisle's capable hands. Dr. Fang inserted the needle directly into Jatu's heart. I gasped.

Jatu gasped, too, and his body shuddered once then he was still. The silver lines began to fade almost immediately as the cure raced through his system. Alba spat onto the wound. For a second, I wondered why Carlisle didn't reprimand her for something so unsanitary, then I saw the wound closing up and remembered their venom helped heal very serious wounds.

"Thank you, brother vampire." Jatu said in the thick accent of the werewolves. Carlisle smiled.

Jatu was sent to the back of the group so he would be out of harm's way until he was strong enough to fight again.

Alba hurried down to us and she stood between Neve and Scuro.

Then I heard their footsteps coming from the forest. I turned to look. The Volturi had come and they were most certainly not alone. There were dozens of other vampires with them and I could see the glint of a silver weapon on almost every single one of them. That's why they'd taken a month to arrive, it wasn't just an army they needed; they needed silver.

"Bella, Margaret, go." Jasper said and I felt a slight tingle as one of the shields brushed past me.

"Aro!" Carlisle called. "Aro, listen to me!"

The enemy did not stop. They kept coming; the cloaked guard fully under control, the rest of them evidently battle-hungry and snarls erupted that were echoed by our side of the line.

"Aro!" Carlisle shouted again. "Marcus! Caius!"

Not one of them responded so Jasper, without looking down the line, barked, "Elizabeth, Benjamin, Travis—the wall."

The three of them moved forward. Elizabeth and several others threw blowtorches towards the oncoming army. Halfway there they exploded midair. I tore my gaze away from the flames for a second to watch the three vampires. Elizabeth had her hands raised towards the fire and Benjamin and Travis weren't moving, but their red gazes were fixed intently on the flames, which, by that time, were forming a wall between our army and theirs.

"Hold it steady!" Jasper shouted over the terrified and confused shouting from our side and the alarmed cries from the other side. "Now!"

The fire swelled, roaring, then abruptly shot towards our side. Someone screamed. Travis cussed loudly and the flames gradually disappeared.

"What happened?" Jasper asked them.

Elizabeth shrugged. "I don't know! I had it, I was about to throw it at them, and then I lost control. It was like someone shoved me aside."

"Luna." I said. "It's Luna. She's a fire Elemental. She can control fire."

Elizabeth cussed this time.

"Aro!" Carlisle shouted at the halted progression only a few hundred yards off. "Aro!"

"Carlisle," Aro removed the hood of his cloak. "Yet again you have assembled an army to destroy me and my loved ones." His voice took on a dry tone. "Or do you presume to say these are merely witnesses?"

"We rallied friends and those who do not want the destruction of a race, mortal enemies or not. You rallied people who met an ill-tempered werewolf or who have only heard stories, those who will follow you blindly either out of their own free will or because Chelsea made them want to."

Someone on the other side hissed.

"Luna!" Neve shouted suddenly. "Luna!"

A tall figure lowered their hood. Luna's yellow eyes stared at us, like beacons, in the sea of red eyes. Behind me, werewolves let out angry shrieks and snarls at the sight. I thought I saw Luna flinch but a second later she looked hard and cold.

"_Nujafpa_!" Arlin shouted and everyone fell silent instantly.

"Luna!" Neve called again. "Look!" And she pushed Alba forward. "Look who it is!"

Luna's eyes narrowed and then they widened and I heard her quiet gasp. She mouthed her sister's name.

"It's really her!" Rame added. "She's alive! She was with the werewolves this whole time!"

"Luna, why did you do this?" Alba shouted. "We're you're family! How could you?"

Luna just stared. I could see her resolve wavering. Her eyes flicked from person to person.

"Penny!" Sash waved his hand. Penny didn't lower her hood, but I could see her copper face staring at us from under a dark gray cloak next to Luna.

"God," he whispered then he raised his voice. "I'm sorry, Penny! I'm sorry for everything! Why are you fighting with them? They killed Mom! They killed Uncle Lewis and Aunt Tracy! They killed Nana! They would've killed Pap, too, if he'd been there! Don't you remember when they attacked you guys and burned the house down?"

Penny looked at Aro. "What's he talking about?"

Of course, her human memories were fuzzy…they could've explained their attack on her family as a delusion caused by the venom and cooked up any old story to pose as the truth.

"They're trying to turn you against us, Penelope." Aro murmured to her.

"Hey, Aro! Shut up! I'm trying to talk to Penny." Sash shouted. Aro raised one eyebrow, looking amused, but motioned for Sash to proceed.

"Thank you. Penny, don't you remember? They attacked our home. They killed our mother. They made you a vampire. Don't you remember the pain? Do you really want to fight with the people that stole your humanity, your family, the lives of countless people—the people that slaughtered so many innocent werewolves?"

Penny opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, then closed it. Sash snarled softly at her.

"Alexander, I—" Penny began but Sash cut her off.

"No, I told you, I'm just Sash now." He shouted. "Alexander is dead and, you know what? So is Penny. She died with my family. You're just a soulless thing that looks like my sister."

"See, dear one?" Aro crooned sympathetically. "He doesn't love you."

"I love my _sister_!" Sash shot back. "And right now, I'm seeing nothing to prove that is my sister."

"What about the rest of you?" One of the vampires, I think it might've been Hannah, screamed at the vampires who weren't members of the Volturi. "We all have families, friends, mates, lives! Do you really want to destroy free will and give our world to the Volturi's dictatorship?"

"Bella, stretch out and put your shield around those vampires near the front by Demitri." Edward whispered.

"It's not too late!" I shouted. "You can still join us! You can still choose freedom!"

I saw confusion cross the faces of two vampires, one with long red hair and the other with short brown hair. They glanced at each other then at Aro then the redhead darted towards us, followed swiftly by her brunette friend.

"Let them come!" Edward ordered when a few of the wolves growled. The two girls looked at us fearfully but I could see determination in their eyes as they approached Carlisle, still clutching their silver weapons.

"I'm Shino," the redhead introduced herself quietly to Carlisle. "This is my cousin, Kiki. We…weren't sure if we wanted to fight for them or not but…it was…like something made us and then suddenly it wasn't making us…"

"She's not lying." Maggie said.

"We'll fight them with you." Kiki said in a tremulous soprano voice.

"Glad you changed your minds." Carlisle smiled and held out his hand. "Your weapons, please."

They handed them over and Carlisle passed them to Tanya who was right behind him. "Get these back to the witches," he murmured and the two deadly blades were passed back through the crowd, accompanied by uneasy grumbling among the werewolves.

"Anyone else?" I shouted.

Aro sighed. "Is this how it's going to be? We stand here while you try to take apart our army? I think not."

Suddenly a piercing childlike scream filled the air. The smallest cloaked figure collapsed, her hood falling back. Apparently Jane had tried attacking someone protected by Margaret's shield. I wasn't the only who laughed at her. A few people sneered openly and a couple cheered. Finally, Jane seemed to realize she was doing it to herself and she stopped screaming. Alec helped his sister up, keeping her safely tucked under his arm, glaring murderously in our direction.

But that was the breaking of the damn. The Volturi removed their cloaks and the vampires around them snarled, dropping into crouches.

"I love you." I whispered to Sash and kissed him quickly.

"Kill them all." Caius ordered viciously and his army charged.

"Peyton!" Jasper shouted. "Spence!"

Shrieks that only could be made by raptors rang out from behind me. A flock of bald eagle shifters and a flock of red-tailed hawks took to the skies. They were smart enough to not even get close enough for the vampires to jump up and reach them. Instead they dropped…

"Fireworks?" Margaret looked at Alice. "Where the fuck did you get those?"

Elizabeth grunted loudly and I looked in time to see her hand swipe through the air. It was like a detonator, making the makeshift bombs explode and rain down flames on the approaching vampires. I enjoyed their agonized screams. She took a deep breath and rubbed her temples, Kane put his hand on her shoulder.

"Shifters!" Jasper snarled.

"Go!" screamed one of the shape-shifters. I felt the shimmering heat from their transformations and then tigers, leopards, two mountain lions, two cats, coyotes, two German Sheppard dogs, and a single lion launched themselves over our heads.

Arlin shifted into a large, chocolate brown wolf with darker splotches across his fur. He threw his head back and howled. He launched himself forward and with him went a stream of werewolves, phasing on the fly.

"Charge!" one of the vampires screamed and all the vampires loped towards them.

I launched myself forward, screaming a battle cry I hit the ground on all fours and I felt Seth and Sash flanking me. It took us only seconds to reach them.

I flung myself at an olive-skinned male and sank my teeth into his flesh. He was untrained. I tore him to bits in moments and spared a glance at our side of the field. The masses of werewolves and vampires were running, all of them screaming and snarling with rage.

A nearby vampire screamed a battle cry at me. With a snarl, I turned and jumped at him.

The sky grew dark. The eclipse had begun.

* * *

**:D To quote a favorite hamster of mine named Rhino: "Let it begin! Let it begin! LET IT BEGIN!"**

**"Hey, Aro! Shut up!" I love Sash XD  
**


	49. Eclipse

**I know you're all probably thinking "Holy crap! She updated so soon?" Well, this chapter is really gonna piss y'all off so I don't wanna ruin your Thanksgiving (for me American readers) by posting this Thursday. That and I'm just still roflin over the fact that Twilightboy actually went back and reviewed every last chapter he hadn't already reviewed so you can thank him for this X)**

**I will say this in advance. DO NOT KILL ME! o_o Remember, everything happens for a reason, especially in my stories. Everything that happens henceforth in this document/web page came to pass because it had to...and cuz I said so. ^^**

**So, sit back, lay down, lean forward WHATEVER you find most comfortable, and enjoy the long awaited BATTLE chapter and all it's...happenings :D *walks away laughing manically*  
**

*******************************August 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

The vampire jumped back a few feet and I threw myself at him without hesitation. It was almost too easy. My teeth tore a hunk of stone from of his torso. While he screamed and groped uselessly at the gaping hole, I knocked his head off with my paw. I kicked a few of his limbs into a nearby fire and sprang at a vampire that was about to sink a silver blade into a werewolf that was struggling against her. I tore her head off too.

_Thanks!_ The wolf thought and helped me rip the rest of her apart. Then I was onto another.

The world around me was complete mayhem. With every turn of my head I could see someone I knew fighting or falling. Alice and Jasper, the perfect tag team, against a vampire who didn't stand a chance. The werewolf with fur the color of wet stone who had been in the patrol when we arrived at the village was on the ground, gasping in agony as silver overtook her body. Alba and Neve in a deadly dance with Demitri of the Volturi. Sash shredding an unfamiliar vampire mercilessly. Elizabeth, her fiery hair pulled into a firm braid, bringing a vampire twice her mass to his knees without even touching him; Kane protecting her back. Renesmee, her face twisted with rage, with her hands on the head of a thickset dark vampire who was screaming in fear and agony—Jacob and Rachel fighting together to protect her back. Zafrina reducing a male to a moaning heap while Kachiri moved in for the kill. Nahuel and his sisters striking like pythons.

I was calm. Adrenaline sang through my veins, my paws were stained with blood and ashes which were in fact fine pieces of dismembered vampires, and I could taste vampire flesh on my teeth…but I was calm. All doubts of the Prophecy left me forever. I was born to fight this battle.

A sharp pain flared up in my side. I stopped running and snarled, rounding on the vampire that had driven a silver dagger into my flank. I snarled as I yanked it out and threw it on the ground. That's when the vampire seemed to realize I was one of the few that would not be hurt by silver. He was nothing but scraps a few seconds later.

Surrounded by death, I'd never felt more alive.

A wolf body crashed into mine. I jumped away and whirled around, expecting to see a the wolf jump up and run back into battle, but after two seconds, I realized that the silver wolf with a scar across her cheek hadn't accidentally hit me. I growled at Luna, baring my teeth.

_Hi, Mama._ She pulls her lips back in a grimacing smile.

So, Luna, how many of your own kind have you killed?

_None yet. But I did get one of your vampires already._

I growled, lashing my tail. _The only reason I don't hate you is because you had no choice in any of this._

Surprise flickered in her eyes. _Yes I did. I _chose_ to join them._

_Luna, there is a Prophecy that told this battle would happen. Guess what? You're a part of it. You're the Betrayer. You betrayed us, just as you were born to do._ _…Yes, Luna. That's the only reason you were born—to betray your kind and your family. You had absolutely no choice in the matter. So if you run _right now_ then I won't kill you._

Luna snarled at me, but instead of striking, she turned and raced away, disappearing into the throng of moving bodies. I growled but didn't pursue her. I'd had mercy on the one without a choice, just as Celbra had told me to.

_Leah, help!_

I spun around and raced towards my brother. He was struggling under two newborn vampires. I snarled furiously and pulled the larger male off him. The fair-haired vampire roared as my teeth ripped at his flesh. Valerian appeared out of nowhere, and sank her wolfish teeth into the vampire's shoulder and used her claws to rip his arm and part of his side off. The vampire screamed for help but I had his head off before he could finish his pleading.

I nodded a quick thanks to Valerian but she was already sprinting off to help someone else.

I spun around in time to dodge a blow that would've probably broken my neck. The blonde vampire hissed at me and jumped. A smaller, dark-haired vampire appeared, quite literally, out of thin air and intercepted the blonde. I was quite sure I'd never seen the little vampire—she had to only be thirteen years old at best—among our ranks.

"Traitor!" Spat the blonde as the little vampire literally vanished, reappearing perched on his shoulders.

The little vampire sneered and sank her teeth into his neck, removing his head effortlessly.

"Get going!" the little vampire yelled at me. "I've got this bastard."

_Yes, ma'am._ I thought and looked around. I took a running start and jumped over a few fighting vampires and tackled a female who'd been running towards Xander who already had his hands full. The female hissed and kicked at me uselessly, trying to get her teeth into me. There was no tact, no skill in it. She had to be a newborn.

I sank my teeth into her shoulder and gave her a good shake while digging my teeth deeper into her skin. I tore a hunk out of her skin and spat it into the snow. While she screamed I pounced, tearing her head off then I left her for someone else to deal with.

I needed to get an idea of how well we were doing. I was near the trees so I raced over to the nearest one, shifted back, and climbed up. It was probably the stupidest thing I could've done, reverting to my human form, but I needed hands. From up in the tree I could see the entire battlefield. There was something I had to do in this battle. Something no one else would or could do. But _what?_

There were several pyres issuing the purple smoke that burning vampire limbs produced. Bodies of werewolves were scattered but over half of the wolves were still fighting. A tiger was lying on the ground, so were two of the avian-shifters, plus one of the cat-shifters. It looked like Evan. I couldn't see how many of our vampires had been lost. I did see Bella and Edward fighting together against one of the Volturi. Rebecca wasn't too far from my tree, talking frantically with Marcus. The usually impassive vampire's face was twisted with shock, grief, and…rage?

I strained my ears to hear them over the din.

"—and you're _absolutely _certain?" He asked.

Rebecca nodded. "It's true. I can't alter the past nor can I alter the images."

Marcus looked distraught. "How…could…he…?"

"Marcus, he wanted your power. That's all Aro wants. Power. But not you, Marcus, I know you're different. You only care about upholding the law and keeping our world safe. It's not too late to help us."

Marcus' face went perfectly smooth and I tensed, wondering if he was going to attack her.

"Help us, for Didyme." Rebecca pleaded. "So many people are going to be broken hearted by the deaths today. Why do there need to be any more than necessary? Think of all the lovers here and those who have lovers waiting for them elsewhere. Do you want all of them to suffer what you've suffered? Chelsea is dead, Marcus. Nothing is binding you to the Volturi anymore. You can leave, just as you and Didyme wanted to."

Marcus extended his hand and Rebecca fell silent. "Aro is mine to kill." He said calmly.

Rebecca reached forward and gave him a high-five. "He's right over there." She pointed over Marcus' shoulder. I followed her gaze just in time to watch Aro sink his teeth into the skin of an all-too-familiar gray wolf. My scream and Marcus' roar sounded together. I threw myself out of the tree, phasing as I went.

_Embry! No!_ I yowled.

I reached Aro first, snarling with rage. He hissed at me. I heard Marcus coming. Aro smirked just a bit; the poor bastard was completely unaware that Marcus had jumped ship.

"No! Get back! He's mine!" Marcus shouted at me. Reluctantly, I complied, and shifted back, kneeling by Embry who had also reverted to his human form.

"Marcus?" I heard Aro's confident voice wavering.

"You killed Didyme. My wife, _your sister!_" Marcus let out an enraged snarl.

I tuned them out after that and put my hand on Embry's arm. "Embry? Did any venom get into you?"

Embry's only response was an agonized cry. I looked down at the bite wound and winced. It was swollen, blood-red, and it was literally pulsing.

"Oh God, don't die, Embry!" I shouted at him.

He forced his dark eyes open to look at me. "L-Leah…?" he gasped. "I…I tried…I tried…"

I nodded. "I know. You did great. But Marcus is going to kill Aro now, Ok?"

He nodded and cried out again.

"Don't worry, Embry." I went on. "We'll take care of them. You just wait here and…and…"

His eyes were clear of pain for a moment as he gazed at me and I chided myself for talking to him like a child. He knew as well as I that he was doomed. Then pain clouded his gaze and his eyes closed again. "It's_ burning_! Leah, _please…_!"

"What?" I blinked away tears.

"End it. It's too late. Please, just end it…"

I squeezed my eyes shut and nodded.

"Tell…" he gasped in some air and opened his mouth in a silent scream. He gasped again. "Tell…Kayla…I love her…and…" Another gasp. "That I want her to find…someone great…Ahh! Ow…Tell…her…I want her to be…happy…. Tell her…please…Leah."

"I'll tell her, I promise." I swallowed and grasped his hand. "I promise."

"Thank you…now please, just kill me!"

I clenched my teeth and got my arm around his neck. "Bye, Embry." I whispered.

But I couldn't do it. I couldn't make myself break his neck, even if it would be a mercy. He was a packmate, a brother. I just couldn't do it.

"I can't…I'm sorry." I put him down. "I just can't."

"_Leah_…!"

"I'll do it." Marcus knelt down beside us.

_Don't worry, Leah. We'll take care of him._ Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the dark fur of Noami and heard her rich voice in my ears.

Marcus' hand gripped Embry's throat and, with grace only vampire's had, snapped Embry's neck. It was so fluid, gentle… I heard him gasp his final breath and his heart went still forever.

Tears streamed down my cheeks.

He looked so helpless in death. His hulking frame suddenly seemed so fragile. He looked like he could be asleep.

_Go, Leah!_ Fango's voice snarled in my ears. _Sash is in trouble._

I leapt away from Embry's corpse and shifted. _Where is he? _I thought.

_Follow me._ Fango ordered. I could see him in front of me. He wasn't solid; it was almost like a shadow of Fango, a faint image, nearly invisible but definitely there. He lead me through the fighting until we reached a white wolf tussling with a white-haired vampire. Caius.

Something became painfully clear to me in that moment. My real enemy was Caius. No one else here, none of the others I'd killed mattered. Caius was who had to die. As long as Caius lived there would always be an open season for werewolves. I had to kill Caius.

I snarled. _Let me kill him, Sash!_

Sash's head turned automatically at the sound of my voice. I realized my error as Caius' fist collided with Sash's neck and in the same second his silver blade pierced Sash's chest. My mate howled with agony.

_NO!_

"NO!" Penny screeched and I saw her running towards Caius.

Caius threw the blade at me. It hit me in the side and not even a second later I felt it being yanked out and heard Penny's furious snarl nearby.

"Get him, Leah!" she screamed at me.

"Traitorous little brat." Caius spat at her.

I jumped at him. He barely had time to defend himself. We rolled around together, my jaws snapping at empty air where his body had been moments before. The rest of the battle faded away. It was just us—Caius, the one who'd caused the Great Murders and me, the one who was born with the sole intention of killing him.

He jumped away from me and I growled, feinting to the side. We circled each other, snarls erupting. He looked at me with loathing and…fear. It didn't matter that I was a shape-shifter, in his eyes I was as werewolf as Luna. I darted forward and he met me head on. He craned his head to bite me and I bucked him off.

Seth jumped out of nowhere and snagged Caius out of the air. He slammed him into the ground and took a chunk out of his shoulder. Caius screamed and threw Seth off then jumped up, facing me again. But it was already in the air. My paws shoved him to the ground before he could dodge and I sank my jaws into either side of his face and bit down. Penny and Seth helped, but they left most of the dismantling to me. I perversely enjoyed ripping his head off, then each of his arms, then his legs, and shredding his torso.

I backed away from him then I threw my head back and howled to the sky. Seth's voice joined mine.

Our howling drew the attention of pretty much everyone. Shouts of "Caius is dead!" and "Aro is dead!" rang out and other wolves started to howl.

We'd done it. We'd won.

Within minutes the rest enemy army that hadn't fled or switched sides after Chelsea's hold over them broke were burning in the many pyres. I found Sam and Quil kneeling by Embry's body. Quil was crying.

"Do you know who did this?" Sam asked me. I shifted back, kneeling beside them.

"Aro bit him." I explained. "Embry was in so much pain and he…asked me to kill him but I just couldn't do it so Marcus did it for me. He broke his neck, it was very quick."

Quil's shoulders hunched and he shook his head mournfully.

I found Neve helping a vampire who had joined our side during the battle reattach his arm. Alba was sitting with a werewolf as he died of poisoning. Scuro was romping around with the golden leopard shape-shifter named Will. Rame was tossing little bits of vampire flesh into a fire. Seth was already busy helping Maggie find the missing parts of her hand.

The little dark-haired vampire that had helped me earlier was staring at one of the pyres with a smug look on her face.

I shifted back. "Thanks for your help."

She looked up at me. "No problem. It was fun." Her grin was nothing short of demonic.

"What's your name?"

"Rayne," she said.

"I'm Leah."

"Nice to meet you." The demonic grin returned and she turned back to the pyre. Creepy little kid…

I found Jacob and Nessie locked in a tight embrace. Jacob was murmuring softly to her and I growled softly to get his attention.

"Leah!" Nessie broke away from Jacob and hugged me. "I saw you kill him! Good job!"

I reared up as phased back to human form so I was on my feet and I looked Jacob right in the eyes.

"Embry's dead, Jacob." I pointed in the general direction of where he'd fallen. "Aro bit him."

Jacob looked ready to hit me or something. "_What_?" he rasped.

"I was there, I saw it happen. I sat with as he died."

"You…he's not…" He shifted and raced away, no doubt needing to see for himself, and Nessie hurried after him.

"Have you seen Kane?" Elizabeth sounded panicked as she paused in front of me. I shook my head. Elizabeth made a quiet whimper and raced off. I silently prayed she'd find her mate alive.

That's when I remembered Sash. How could I have forgotten?

I gasped and cried out in the same breath and spun around, shifting as I went, and raced back to the spot where I'd fought Caius. He was in human form, his face twisted in pain. Veins poised with silver stood out against his skin, spreading away from the spot where Caius' blade had pierced him. Penny was kneeling beside him, clutching his hand desperately. Carlisle was there, too.

_Sash, Sash! _I was calling his name as I shifted back. "Sash!" I grabbed his hand and knelt beside him. "Sash, I'm right here, look at me." I glanced up at Penny and her red eyes met mine.

"I'm sorry, Leah," She said. "I—"

I shook my head. "Penny, you earned my forgiveness the moment you yanked the knife out of my side."

Her pretty face lit up then fell again when Sash gasped in pain.

"Why aren't you helping him?" I demanded Carlisle.

"I've put the anti-silver in him twice. I even injected it directly into his wound." He explained.

"Then why isn't he getting better?" My voice went up an octave.

"Sometimes the anti-silver isn't introduced to the bloodstream in time." he said and ran his finger along one of the silver veins which continued to lengthen as the silver took hold of Sash's body. "I think…I was too late. I think he has only minutes left."

"No…no…_you're lying!_" I screamed. Carlisle flinched and bowed his head.

Tears dripped from my eyes onto his chest. I half-hoped that it would be like a fairytale where the tears of the brave warrior's true love healed his fatal wound. But they just evaporated off his burning skin. Therein lies the truth of fairytales. I pressed my lips to his forehead.

"Sash?"

He opened his yellow eyes and stared up at me. "Leah…?"

I swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, I'm right here. Penny's here, too. She fought on our side in the end. She and Seth helped me rip him apart. It's over, we won."

Sash's lips turned up in a smile. "Thanks, sis…"

"Sash…I'm sorry. If I'd known they were lying to me, I would never have…" Penny trailed off uselessly.

"Don't apologize. There wasn't anything you could've done…this was meant to happen…you were meant to be one of them…"

Penny sighed.

"But you chose to help us." He smiled. "That was all you."

My scream seemed to have attracted attention.

"Sash!" Neve gasped somewhere behind me.

"No!" Rame rasped.

"What happened?" Scuro asked.

"I saw it, it was Caius." Alba said.

"Oh no…" I jerked around in surprise at that voice. Luna was standing just behind her siblings, wrapped in her cloak. Her green eyes were wide, horrified. I growled softly and turned back to Sash.

He squeezed my hand. "Leah, I don't regret anything. Remember that."

"No, dammit, Sash Hunter, don't you _dare_ go dying on me! I already had to watch Embry die today."

"Embry…" Sash closed his eyes. "Is everyone else in the pack alright?"

"Yes. Everyone's present and accounted for."

"Good." He smiled and then a spasm rocked through his body. I cried harder. "Please, Lee, don't cry." He whispered. "Come down here."

I lowered my head and he gently kissed me for a few seconds. "Do me a favor, alright? Tell Pap how I died and make sure he doesn't hate Penny."

I shook my head. "No! You're gonna make sure he doesn't hate Penny because you're _not going to die!_ Carlisle, try one more time, damn it! Put that fucking needle all the way through his heart if you have to!"

Carlisle sighed and pulled another needle out of his back and inserted the tip directly over Sash's heart and pushed down. I watched the silver lines expectantly but he didn't improve. He just continued to get worse until his entire body was covered in silver lines as the silver filled every vein and his heart was outlined in silver, each detail becoming more and more definite with each passing second.

"Please," I looked up at the sky where the eclipse was beginning to end. "Don't take him from me."

I felt him squeeze my hand. "I'll visit you in your dreams, okay? Even if I have to harass Seth to get through to you…good thing restraining orders don't work on spirits, huh?"

I choked out a laugh that seemed so out of place. "Now is not the time to be making jokes."

"Actually, since my time's up, now seems like the best time…. Hey…here's one. What's a ghost's favorite toy?"

I found that I was smiling, just a bit. Typical Sash. "What?"

"A…booooo-merang." He cracked a smile that was quickly replaced by a grimace of pain. A few other people gave weak laughs to make up for the absence of mine. Maybe one day I'd laugh at his joke.

I put my hand over his racing heart and leaned down to kiss him. "Please." I whispered once more.

He smiled at me and his lips formed the words "love you" then his eyes closed. His heart faltered abruptly. It thumped once…twice…then it stopped completely.

* * *

**Yeah...I should probably start running right about now... Meep Meep!**


	50. Spirit of the Moon

**Oh yeah :D I made 99% of y'all cry!**

**I'm posting this a day early cause Kazz will kill me if I don't. ._. Now before any of you get any ideas *cough*Twilightboy*cough* I only listenin to her cause A) I know she has the skills B) She's got the weapons (I've seen em ._.) C) She knows where I live. ...*looks out the window nervously* **

**This is the LAST CHAPTER before the EPILOGUE. o-o **

******And I might as well say this. I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR ANY OF STEPHENIE MEYER'S CHARACTERS. I do however own every single last one of these characters not directly from the main Twilight saga except Kane and Rayne who belong to Kazz, Shino and Kiki who belong to Flower and all four of them were used with permission.**

*******************************August 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

Penny started to sob.

I felt strangely numb and empty. I leaned away from his body; my hand still locked in his, and I raised my other hand. I could see almost every detail of his silver-poisoned heart.

Sash was…dead? It didn't make any sense.

"He's gone." Carlisle murmured, as if anyone would have trouble hearing the ringing silence that had replaced the thumping of his heart.

I drew in a deep, shuddering breath. A slender hand touched my shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Leah."

Luna.

Pure, white-hot heat flooded with my body. This…everything that had happened today…all the deaths…it was all_ her fault!_

I screamed, spinning around and jumping up in the same instant, and flung her away from me. I dropped into a crouch beside him. "How dare you?" I snarled.

"But, I—" she began, but her words were cut off by an explosion.

It had no sound, but at the same time it was the loudest thing my ears had ever registered. An intensely bright light filled the clearing, so bright that it burned my eyes, but at the same time it was as gentle as a mother's caress. I gasped, wanting to shield my eyes but unable to look away. After a moment a beautiful woman appeared from the light that completely overshadowed the sun, turning the entire world silvery white.

The woman had impossibly long hair the color of snow, highlighted with glowing silver streaks. Some of it was braided, twisted, and weaved intricately around her head while the rest hung free, down to her ankles. A crown circled her head; the jeweled designs that were traditionally on top of the crown were covering her forehead, making the crown appear upside down even though it obviously wasn't. Her eyes were every color possible and at the same time, only the purest white—there was no other way to describe it. Her skin was as colorless as a vampire's but it made her seem more alive than any of us; her pale pink lips stood out beautifully. Her dress was long and flowing, the top was decorated with designs made of pearls and diamonds which gradually ended at her waistline and the sleeves looked like they were made of translucent silk. The designs continued until her elbows where the sleeves fanned out into bells. Her bare were feet just barely visible under the hem. A necklace decorated with silver crescent moons and wolves hung from her neck.

And, most beautiful of all, her wings; the purest white, silvery tinged feathers seemed to give off more light than the rest of her body. They were extended as if she'd just been using them. As I stared, unable to look away, she carefully folded them around her body.

I finally was able to blink and I still couldn't believe what I was seeing. An _angel…_and actual _angel…_

When she spoke her voice seemed to come from everywhere, and yet it was only in my head, much like Aldia's, but far more grand. And I recognized the warm voice.

"_Children, stop fighting."_

"Celbra," I whispered.

Her name swept through the crowd like wildfire. Werewolves dropped to their knees, staring in awe, and some of the vampires backed quickly away from her.

"_Do not be afraid, Children of Darkness, I mean you no harm."_ Her calm clear voice assured them. "_Look at your skin; my light does not affect you like the sunlight that causes your skin to betray you."_

The vampires relaxed somewhat, especially when they realized their skin, in fact, was not glittering as it should've been.

"_Katrina, Elizabeth Maggie, Rosalie, Benjamin, Eleazar." _Celbra turned her head to each of the vampires. "_Do not fear. Your lovers are safe. They gave chase to enemies who fled. They are coming now; they can already hear my voice."_

"Oh thank God!" Rosalie cried from somewhere out of view.

Celbra smiled warmly. "_Everyone fought gallantly today, even thought it was not your battle. I cannot let such bravery go unrewarded. I offer all the Children of Darkness and the Children of Beasts who fought here today in the name of my Children a gift. Just as I made a place for my Children to go after death, I have made places for your souls to retire to once your lives have ended. Those who died today now reside in their respective realms. They will watch over you and guide you until the time comes that you are to join them. You need not fear death._

"What about Paul?" Rachel asked softly. "He didn't die here today, but…"

"_Your mate died to protect my son. He was waiting in the Forest of the Moon to welcome all the werewolves who joined him, as well as Embry. And also, all of you shall be able to traverse the three realms freely._

"_I shall mark all of you who are not my Children so that you may know one another and remember this day. In order to ensure you remember you will always be allies in a way no one else can be." _She walked over to Carlisle and reached out with her index finger and touched the middle of his forehead. I hear him suck in air sharply through his nose. She pulled her finger away then gently tore off the left sleeve of his shirt. There, glimmering on his skin like new paint, was a silver full moon outline. Inside of it, thinner lines formed crescent moons that weaved around and through each other beautifully.

"_I mark you first because you have fought your very nature to protect and preserve life for many decades. You have a good soul, Carlisle Cullen, and I commend you for it."_

"Thank you." He said.

I turned my head when Kate let out a wordless shriek of joy. Garrett had made his way to the front of the crowd along with the others who'd given chase and their mates. Kate threw her arms around Garrett. My lips flicked up in the smallest smile for just a second. At some people were not doomed to loneliness without their lovers.

I shifted back over to Sash's body and grasped his hand again. His body was already starting to cool. The world blurred as tears filled my eyes. Every time one fell another one replaced it. It just wasn't right. After everything I'd done…this was how I was repaid?

_Leah, I love you._ I heard his voice whisper in my ear. I was only a little comforted knowing his soul was beside me.

"_You, child, will also be spared."_ Celbra was standing beside Penny. She pressed her finger to Penny's forehead and I knew that if Penny were to move her sleeve we would see a mark on her arm. Penny looked ready to cry, a mixture of joy and raw grief.

"_But you will not_._"_ Celbra's usually warm and motherly voice was dark and my head snapped up to see who was on the receiving end of her anger. She was looking right at Luna. "_You betrayed your own kin and there is no mercy for such a crime. You will not live to see the sunset this evening and your soul shall disappear into the void like all the traitors before you."_

Luna's face was ghostly pale and terrified. "But I…I helped! After Leah told me about the Prophecy I helped them! I fought for them!"

"_In a battle you caused." _Celbra's voice was nearing a growl. Her wings spread out a bit, the action seemed threatening. Dimly, I wondered if she could change into a wolf.

"Now hang on just a damn minute." Scuro marched forward and put himself between his sister and Celbra. "Didn't the Prophecy you gave to Aldia say that there would be a Betrayer?"

"_Yes."_

"Which is Luna."

"_Yes."_

"If that's so, then the reason Luna was born was so she could betray us." His eyes flicked to me for a second then back to Celbra. He must have heard my conversation with Sash. "But now she's fought for us and is trying to earn forgiveness. You have no right to punish her for something she really had no control over!"

Celbra's expression was almost unreadable, but I swore I saw something close to pride on her face. _"Nevertheless, my Son, she still betrayed everyone."_

"There has to be _something_ I can do!" Luna blurted out. "Something, _anything_…"

"_You cannot redeem yourself…you must be redeemed by another."_

"And that 'other' is me." Scuro lifted his chin proudly. "Aldia called me the Redeemer. This is supposed to be my job, isn't it?"

Celbra smiled. "_How do you suggest she pay her debt? Remember, my Son, that a simple apology and community service is not adequate. Every life lost since her treachery began is against her."_

Scuro frowned and looked at his sister. His gaze flicked around the crowd, resting on me more than once. I turned away from him and stared down at Sash again.

He looked so human, so tiny in death. I wanted to pretend he was only quiescent; it was much easier than accepting that he was gone, that his soul had left his poor, silver-poisoned body. I squeezed his hand tightly, willing it to warm back up. I saw the nearly nonexistent form of a large white tail rest over my hand but I couldn't feel the contact. I looked up and there he was, a faint, almost holographic image of Sash in his wolf form. He pulled his lips up in a smile and I felt a shred of hope. Even if he was dead, he wasn't gone forever. Somehow, I could see him.

"She ran away and went to the Volturi because of Sash." Scuro said, almost to himself. "She turned traitor because we chose Sash. All of it comes back to him."

"And now he's dead." I snarled out, momentarily forgetting his spirit sat beside me. "And no matter how many times you beg for forgiveness, he's _never coming back!_"

"Unless…" Scuro looked at Luna. They shared a long look and Luna's eyes widened.

"I'll do it." Luna said.

I looked between the two of them. "Do _what_?"

"If I go, can he come back?" Luna looked at Celbra.

Celbra nodded, "_His life for your life and eternal servitude."_

"What?"

"_No matter what triggered your actions, you still betrayed your kind. You have no right to enter the Forest of the Moon and you never shall. Instead you shall spend the rest of eternity in the in-between, helping guide werewolves and all those here today into the Forests."_

Scuro nodded at Luna. "That's the only way."

"Why him?" Siobhan pushed her way through the crowd around us. "Why does that werewolf boy get his life back when others don't? What about Liam?" her voice rose to a shout. "He _died_ today to protect a wolf! Why doesn't he get his life back? Or Tanya! Why doesn't she get to come back to life?"

"Tanya's dead?" Kate gasped. "_No_!"

Celbra looked at them mournfully. "_I understand your agony, Dark Child; do not think I am favoring him because he is one of my Children. Now you must also understand. Luna's actions were fueled by her hatred for this Changeling. Her hatred was the cause of all this."_ She swept her slight hand across the clearing. _"She wanted him dead and now she is willing to give her life so he can live. There is no other way for her to truly be pardoned. …Also, Dark Child, do not forget that your mate and all the other dead Dark Children were burned in fire. Their souls have no bodies to return to. Yet, do not think that you are alone. Your Liam is standing beside you right now._

Siobhan turned her head automatically. I looked, too, and I could see him there the same way I could see Sash. It was almost like an illusion, but the Irish vampire was definitely there.

"I don't see him." Siobhan said doubtfully.

"I see him there." I said. "He's smiling at you and he just put his arm around your shoulders."

Liam's eyes flicked up to me and he smiled. Siobhan closed her eyes.

"_Luna, do you accept the terms?" _Celbra asked.

Luna nodded. "I do."

Celbra nodded and closed her eyes; her glorious wings began to stretch out, the light grew brighter.

"Wait!"

Celbra opened her eyes.

Luna looked at me almost as if she was unsure then smiled sadly. "Goodbye, Mama."

It wasn't sneering or sarcastic. She called me Mama just as she had as a pup. I smiled at her and memorized every detail of her face for the last time.

Luna turned back to Celbra and nodded. The angel spread her wings apart as if she was about to take flight and she raised her hands. The light glowed so brightly that I hid my eyes in Sash's skin. When the light faded I looked up quickly.

Celbra still stood there in all her heavenly magnificence, but Luna was gone. I looked down at Sash expectantly. He wasn't moving, his heart was still silent, but I thought the silver lines across his body were becoming fainter. I looked up but I couldn't see the white wolf that had been sitting beside me just moments before.

"_Leah, Seth, Alba, Scuro, Penelope, come here." _Celbra ordered. I wanted to stay by Sash, but I knew better than to disobey an angel. I moved away from him and stood with the others.

"_Long ago in your years, my Daughter, Aldia, received my warnings about the future—about all of you, Sash, Paul, and Luna. You are all brave warriors descended from me in some way. Even you, Penelope, are a distant Child of mine, like several others here." _Her spectrum eyes flicked to some of the vampires for a moment then she turned to me.

"_My Warrior," _Celbra leaned forward and kissed my forehead. I felt her mark appear on my upper arm and I gasped as a weightless sensation filled my body, I felt like I could rise and fly for a thousand miles and not be tired. _"From now on you shall run with the speed and grace of a pure werewolf. You will fight with their strength. You never have to fear about losing your wolf because the wolf is now you just as you are the wolf. You are a werewolf in almost every sense except you need not phase on the full moon, but I'd like you to." _she added. _"And you shall not feel silver's sting."_

I smiled. "Thank you. May I ask a question?"

"_Certainly."_

"Why can I see and hear the spirits?" I asked.

Celbra smiled. _"You entered the land of the dead while you were still living and you traveled through the in-between to the land of the living once more. It touched your soul in a way few others know."_

"Oh." Then maybe I could see Luna again. We needed to talk.

"_My Dreamer," _She moved to Seth and kissed his forehead, too. _"You've been on this earth for twenty years. In seven short days you will be twenty-one. And yet you have not changed since your fifteenth year, six years ago. You're a man trapped in the ungrowing body of a boy. To you, like your sister, I give you the gifts of my Children…plus one extra. Seth, you will grow over the next few months until you are a man. Then, like my Children, you shall freeze once more, until you wish otherwise. I watched your dreams. You use your power well, I wish for you to keep it even when you're dead."_

She kissed Alba's forehead. _"Do not fret any longer, my Daughter. If your heart lies with your mother's pack then you should remain with them. The war is over. You need not worry about traversing to visit your family whenever you wish. No one can hate you for being loyal to those who need you. I have no gift for you other than this mark and advice. There is nothing more that you need that is in my power to grant."_

Scuro was next. _"You hated your sister for what she'd done yet you put it aside out of pity and love. Your gift is your future. One day you shall lead your own pack and have your own mate to lead beside you. She is very beautiful and already walks this earth. Do not worry; just keep moving along and your paths will cross soon enough."_

Finally she stood in front of Penny and kissed her forehead. _"Do not fret, dear Daughter. You can feed on humans, animals, or both. Some Dark Children prefer a diet of both simply out of convenience. You do not need to feel loyal to any coven if you want. Dark Children can live on their own for their entire lives in a way my Children cannot for long. You can choose to be loyal to a coven or yourself. No matter what you decide, I promise you will find love. I will allow him into the same realm after death so you are not eternally separated from your love, and the same gift is for all Dark Children who fought here today that find a mate outside of this group. …You will control your powers one day, dear one, just keep faith in yourself."_

She backed away from us and waved her hand. I felt a something smooth settle on my skin and I looked down, surprised when I saw she'd given us simple, straight white gowns. I'll admit, caught up in everything, I'd forgotten I'd been showing off my birthday suit every time I shifted back to human form.

"Wow." Seth said. "I'm in a dress."

"Just…think of it as a robe." Jacob teased as his eyes flicked down to the dress he, too, was suddenly wearing. "Robes are more manly."

I snorted. From what I could see, all the other shape-shifters—or Children of Beasts, which was a really…weird name—and werewolves had been given the same garments.

Celbra knelt down beside Sash and put her hand on his body. All the silver had faded from his skin save for a straight silvery scar where the blade had entered his skin. _"And to you, my Son, I give you your life back. Enjoy your life, my Son; you will see many years before you traverse the in-between once more, do not let those years slip by. Cherish your life, your mate, your family."_

She leaned down and kissed his forehead. When she leaned away the light glowed brighter than when Luna had vanished. I closed my eyes quickly. I heard the gentle rustling of feathers as her wings unfurled and then there was silence. Behind my eyelids I could still see the light, but when I risked a peak I realized the light that had illuminated everything in the angel's presence had vanished, and so had she. The sun was shining, the vampires' skins were sparking, and everyone who'd already opened their eyes was looking around incredulously, including Sash.

He was sitting upright, his hand over the scar he would always wear, and his chest moved up and down as his oxygen flowed through him. I saw the mark glimmering on his arm where her hand had touched him. His heartbeat sounded like it was pounding directly next to my ear. I realized I was staring open-mouthed at him but I just couldn't get the shocked expression off my face.

"Hey, Lee." Sash's face was of mock concern. "What's wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

That did it.

I flung myself at him, throwing my arms around his neck. He put his arms around me, chuckling. I started to cry and pounded my fist against his chest. "Now. Is. Not. The. Time. To. Be. Making. Jokes!" I choked out between punches.

He laughed and took each hit like a man. I punched him once more then fisted my fingers in the fabric over his chest and let my tears flow.

"Hey, now, don't start crying." He said. "I just came back to life! Don't drown me before I can even stand up!"

I gritted my teeth at his attempts of humor and gave him a dark, but amused, look.

"This looks beautiful on you." I felt his finger trace the mark Celbra left on my arm, a duplicate of the crescent moon outline filled with the smaller crescent outlines that decorated his own.

I laughed once then kissed him, more happy to have him alive than I could ever tell you.

Then I heard Emmett laugh once. "Well, shit!"

I turned my head and arched one eyebrow. Total mood killer.

"We actually won!" he whooped.

I wasn't the first one to start laughing. I felt Sash's chest shake under me as he chuckled.

_Yes, Emmett, we won. _

That's when everything really sank in. Not everyone had actually been touched by her, but everyone besides the werewolves received the full moon mark from her. Later we discovered Embry's forehead and the foreheads of everyone else who had died were decorated with the same full moon design on the arms of all the survivors. In that final burst of light from Celbra, the injured had been healed like, well, magic. The vampires who were missing bits of skin or limbs found they were whole again. Werewolves on the verge of succumbing to silver as they desperately drank in every word of their Mother suddenly realized the pain had faded and all that remained was a scar. Of course, the dead did not awaken and I knew Sash and I were resented because of it. I hoped that one day they would understand, or at least wish us happiness.

"So, I think this calls for a celebration." Alba chirped.

"How about tonight at seven o'clock at your place?" Alice asked.

"Sounds great!"

_Yes, Emmett. _I thought again. _We really won._

* * *

**If I "offended anyone's beliefs" because Celbra is an angel from heaven, sorry but I'm not going to lose sleep over it so don't gripe. I don't gripe whenever I read books that diss Christianity so don't gripe about mine including aspects of it.**

**But yes...yes! Sashy is alive. :D I was laughing the entire time I read your reviews. For those of you who don't like everything ending with sugar and rainbows all around, don't worry, Sash isn't going to be a 100%...I mean he died from being poisoned. That's...gonna leave side effects now that he's back. **


	51. Epilogue: In Nadja

**I will save the rest of my talking until the end.**

**So, my dear readers, whether you are new or you've been here since June 15th 2009, I invite you to sit back and enjoy the final chapter of Children of the Moon.**

***********************************August 2011* This story has been redone! I rewrote 80% of the chapters to fix plot holes and make things sound better.**

* * *

**Leah**

The moon was full; Celbra's light filled the valley where _Nadja _had stood for centuries. All of those who'd been sent away for safety were called back and the werewolves had welcomed all of the survivors from the battle into their village with open arms after all of the fallen had been properly buried and the vampire ashes, both enemy and ally, were scattered throughout the clearing.

The enemy casualties were double ours, but more than a few wolves would be sleeping alone in their beds tonight.

About twenty-five vampires on the Volturi's side had abandoned them the moment Chelsea died and her hold over them had vanished. Among them were Mary, Randall, Amun and his mate Kebi, all of who had been on our side last time, but they were caught and "persuaded" by the Volturi to join their cause. All four of them were killed in the battle, but no one was exactly sure how and if they did know they weren't telling.

Stefan, one of the Romanian vampires, had also met his end. Vladimir was nothing short of homicidal afterwards. He insisted that everyone who had been on the Volturi's side—including the two vampires, Shino and Kiki, who had joined us before the battle and never raised a single finger against us—should be executed. Of course, his demands were ignored, which only served to piss him off even further. He refused to come to the victory celebration and slinked away to his shadowy hidey-hole. I supposed we'd have to worry about him later.

Among all the vampires who had sided with us, we lost nine: Tanya of the Denali coven, Liam of the Irish coven, Charles and his mate Makenna, Yamai the half-blood, and the nomads, Charlotte, Niles and Juliet. After Celbra's departure, Jasper's old friend Peter threw himself into one of the pyres to be with his mate Charlotte in the afterlife the moon angel had promised them. Jasper was distraught as Peter had been a good friend of his. The original members of the Crescent pack were not taking Mint's death easily; she'd been one of them for so long. Evan the cat-shifter, two eagles named Eva and Quinn, a hawk named Jude, and a tiger named Hua died, along with dozens of werewolves. None of the leopards, mountain lions, dogs, coyotes, or the African lion died—they were the lucky ones, they had no one to personally mourn.

Marcus was the soul-surviving founder of the Volturi. After a discussion with Arlin and Carlisle, he decided to continue on the Volturi's mission with the surviving members of the Guard and the other vampires who decided to join with them. Now that Aro and Caius, and their extreme views, were out of the equation things would be better for everyone.

I walked through _Nadja, _still wearing the white dress plus some beaded jewelry, given to me by one of the werewolves, around my neck and waist. The village was alight with dozens torches and bonfires scattered around the many streets. I doubted anyone had ever seen anything like this before: werewolves, Crescents, vampires, shape-shifters, Halflings, and witches all together in the same place, all in harmony. Music made by drums, shakers, tambourines, stringed instruments, and flutes filled the village. The aromas of cooked meat and blood (animal blood extracted from all the recent kills had been placed into bottles for the vampires to enjoy) were thick in the air.

All the vampires had been given one or more garments of animal skin to wear to replace what had been ruined. Some of them had abandoned their human clothes altogether for the werewolf garb. The Amazonians were only too eager to return to the animal skins they were used to.

Now that these vampires had pushed aside the whole "mortal enemies" thing, they were getting along with the werewolves.

The little werewolf, Ashay, scowled angrily at Emmett, "No, silly vampire. It not go on head. You wear around belly!"

Emmett took the belt off his head. "Are you sure? I could've sworn belts go on heads…"

"No, no, no!" Ashay stamped her little foot. "Around belly!"

Rosalie laughed and Emmett grinned as he fastened the belt around his waist. "Like this?"

"Yes!" Ashay grinned and clapped.

I paused by a large bonfire where werewolves were dancing while a few vampires were cautiously trying out the steps. The dancers performed moves usually seen in Arabian, Chinese, Native American, Russian, European, and gypsy cultures. Most of the werewolves in this village had been refugees from all over the Old World; it made sense that their dancing would include elements from their homelands.

Some of the vampires were having a bit of trouble, like Margaret, Jamie, Farrell, Carmen, and Maggie. Despite their natural grace, the five vampires just seemed a little out of place among the dancing werewolves. If they weren't vampires, I would've bet anything that they would be stumbling around like humans. Not everyone had the same difficulty, of course. Tia was twirling and bending like she'd probably learned to do as a human and Benjamin was moving right along with her, the perfect dancing partner. Kachiri made the dances seem effortless. Elizabeth seemed to have no trouble as she jumped and weaved among the werewolves. Even Maiten, Nahuel's little brother, looked pretty graceful.

"Hey, Leah, come on!" Alba detached herself from the dancers and hurried over to me. "Come on, you have to try!"

"Ah," I started to protest but she pulled me over anyway. "I'm not really a dancer."

"These are werewolf dances, Mama." Alba explained patiently. "You're a wolf, you won't have any trouble."

"Is that why they can't seem to get it right?" I gestured at Margaret and Maggie.

Alba nodded. "I'm guessing that Celbra's mark is the only reason they can even do a rudimentary job. Otherwise the steps would be incomprehensible to them as they tried to perform it. Just like our language. Hmm…you know what? I'll bet Carlisle could learn more of it if he tried now…"

"What about them?" I pointed at Tia and the others doing a fairly good job. "They're doing well enough."

"They must have werewolf somewhere in their ancestry." Alba shrugged. "Penny would probably be able to dance too, if she tried."

I looked at Tia, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Kachiri, and Maiten. I couldn't really see anything in their smooth pale skins or in their crimson eyes that revealed any werewolf heritage at all.

I shrugged, "If you say so." It wasn't really my business, anyway.

Alba tugged on my arm again and I was pulled into the dance. "But, Alba, I have _no idea_ what to do!"

Alba was already swaying to the beat. "Just watch and listen. You'll catch on really quick." With a twist and a leap she was lost into the mass of dancers.

I sighed and looked around at the various dancers that passed me. They moved to avoid me without so much as breaking stride, as if going around my body was just a natural part of the dance. _Kudos, guys, _I thought. After a minute or so I was starting to make sense of their movements and the way the music subtly gave orders. That still didn't make me want to dance. I wasn't a dancer. I held my ground.

_Come on, Leah._ Noami laughed fondly in my ear. _Celbra is watching, you know. Why can you not dance for her? She returned your mate to you, why not do something for her now, even if it may seem insignificant?_

"Because I'm not a dancer," I muttered through unmoving lips.

_Do you think vampires like Benjamin and Kachiri are? Yet look at them now. Go on, Leah, you can do it. It is in your blood; now go on before I bite you._

"You can't. You're dead." _Ugh, listen to yourself, Leah, _I thought. Lookout world, here comes the new Melinda Gordon!

_Do not tempt me, Leah. _Noami warned. _Get your tail into gear and just go!_

I sighed and closed by eyes then leaped into the dancing. I listened to the beat and it was as if my body took direction from the magic in the music. I ducked, stepped, twisted, dipped, and weaved around the other dancers. I recognized a lot of the werewolves from the first time I visited the village. They seemed thrilled that I seemed to know the dances.

"Not bad for a beginner." Elizabeth teased from behind. I turned, still stepping with the dance. Her long red hair was hanging loose except for a few small braids scattered here and there.

"So I guess you've been doing this for a while now?" I asked.

She laughed and lightly leaped over my head. I turned, instinctively keeping the vampire in my line of sight. "No, but you make it look so easy. I feel like I might bump into someone half the time."

"Just don't think about it," I suggested. "I actually have no idea what I'm doing here."

"Seriously?"

"I'm just doing what the music tells me."

"It's different for me," she said, almost sadly, but she perked up right away. "But it's still fun."

"And that's the whole point, I guess." I wasn't exactly having _fun_…ok that's a lie. I totally was.

"Hmm, do you think I should make Kane get in here and dance?" Elizabeth's eyes sparkled with mischief.

I turned my head until I saw the dark vampire watching from the sidelines. "Eh, better not. He doesn't seem like the dancing type." But neither was I.

"You're right," she sighed.

I managed to escape the dancing not long after and I sat down on a log among the spectators.

Alba sat down beside me. "Did you have fun?

I sighed. "It wasn't that bad—hey, now where are we going?"

Alba giggled as she pulled me away from the dancers. "Jacob's having a story time for anyone who wants to listen."

"What's he telling?"

"When I left he was talking about how your people became aware that they could shape-shift." She said. "He's a good storyteller, just like when we were pups."

I smiled, remembering the good old days, then with a pang I thought of Luna who would never get to leave the strange world in between life and death. No matter what may have happened, I would be eternally grateful to her. She'd given me Sash back. Speaking of which…

"Where's Sash?"

"Oh he's with Pap somewhere."

So Pap was here, was he? Well scratch what I said earlier. There vampires, Crescents, werewolves, witches, shape-shifters, Halflings, _and_ humans all together in the same place, all peaceful. This night was nothing short of a miracle.

I was led over to a smaller bonfire where Jacob was sitting on an excellently crafted wooden chair, animatedly telling the story of the Cold Ones to a bunch of werewolves, young and old, a few Crescents, shape-shifters, and even a few curious vampires.

"The people were terrified that the Cold Man had not been alone. They feared that one day another would come to terrorize them. And one day…" his voice dropped and everyone visibly leaned forward. "She did." He raised his voice back to normal volume.

"She came out of nowhere, a beautiful Cold Woman with light hair and a high, musical voice. She spoke in a language none of them could understand. People thought she was some sort of goddess…except for one small boy, a descendent of Taha Aki, who screamed that his nose was burning from the smell. One of Taha Aki's elder warriors realized what had come among them and screamed for the villagers to run. She killed him first. Only a few of the original people who saw her arrive lived. She ran throughout the village, taking her anger out on the people."

"Why didn't the wolves just kill her?" An eagle girl asked.

"Well, there was only one left, remember?" Jacob said. "Yaha Uta did confront her and fought like the brave wolf he was, but he fell. In rage, Taha Aki ran at the woman and shifted into his wolf form for the first time in decades. But he was old and weak. Taha Aki's Third Wife could see that he would lose and she feared that her two young sons would die if her husband fell so she took the knife from her son's belt and stabbed herself."

Almost everyone gasped and Barley snorted. "That was dumb."

Jacob shot him a look. "The fresh blood distracted the Cold Woman long enough for Taha—"

"Now that was _really_ dumb!" Barley blurted out. "She could've just made her dead son bleed or something. That blood would've—"

"Will someone please muzzle him?" Garrett glared at Barley. "I would like to hear the rest of this story."

Briar twisted around and decked Barley right in the mouth. "Shut up, dope." She growled while he gawked at her. "You may proceed now, Jacob."

"Thank you. As I was saying, the Third Wife's blood distracted the Cold Woman long enough for Taha Aki to get free. Furious about their mother's death, her two young sons leaped at the Cold Woman and shifted into wolves for the first time, even though they weren't grown yet. They helped their father finish the Cold Woman. It was the Third Wife's sacrifice that saved the village, not just the might of the wolves."

"You know," one of the former vampires of the Volturi said suddenly. "I always wondered what happened to Maurice and Amelia after they went to explore the western world."

Jacob stared. "You think it was them?"

The vampire looked thoughtful. "Well, didn't your legends describe her with very long blonde hair?"

"Yeah."

"That was probably Amelia. Hmm. Interesting."

I walked some more through the village, partially searching for Sash, partially watching people enjoy themselves. As I passed the Alpha dens I heard Arlin discussing with someone about holding an annual memorial for those lost today. I thought it was a good idea.

I looked down at my arms. On my right arm I had the Quileute pack brand and just below it an inch-thick black band completely circling my arm; the traditional brand of a werewolf. One of the Shamans gave it to me earlier that day. And on my left arm, gleaming silver, was the outline of a crescent moon, filled with smaller crescent moon designs that weaved together to form a beautiful, intricate pattern that marked me as one of the "Chosen Ones" as some werewolves were now referring to everyone in the Prophecy as.

Part of me felt bad, knowing that tomorrow we would begin the long and hard task of telling the families of the deceased shape-shifters and Crescents that their children had died. I was determined to go with each and every clan back to their homes and be there as they told the parents. I felt somewhat responsible for their deaths. I feared telling Embry's mom more than any of the others. She'd never been too comfortable with her son being a werewolf and now she and Kayla had to find out that he'd died and they wouldn't even be able to see his body. His final resting place would be beside the eagle-shifter, Eva, alongside the others in the field where they'd died fighting for freedom. It would be just too difficult to transport all of the bodies thousands of miles to their homes across the world.

I gave my head a quick shake. I didn't want to think about those depressing thoughts, not yet. It wasn't until tomorrow and I had the whole night to enjoy our victory and the knowledge that my life was now my own and no matter what I did, it hadn't already been previously decided by any prophecies.

I found Sash sitting by Pap and Maisha who was eagerly explaining what her life had been like after leaving him and Nana. He'd traded the white gown he'd "woken up" in for a simple pair of skin pants. Penny sat nearby, still in her gown, watching morosely as her grandfather and the werewolf conversed.

"What's wrong, Penny?" I asked.

"I can't decide who to sit closer to." she sighed. "He smells good enough to eat—I'm sure you can tell why I find that _so_ wrong—and she stinks like a dog!"

Maisha's lavender eyes flashed yellow for a second and she threw Penny a dark look. "You do not smell so pleasant yourself." She growled.

Penny rolled her eyes and I laughed.

"Hey, you don't smell any better, so shut it." Penny shot me a look and I bit back a sigh.

Her penitent attitude from earlier today had already worn off. She'd hated my guts when she became a vampire and vampires didn't usually change their likes and dislikes—they were as set in stone as their physical features—so I didn't really expect her to get over her aversion to me in just a few short hours. We may never be friends, but at least she tolerated me enough to not want a fight—surprisingly similar to the relationship I had with Bella most of the time, except that _I _was the Bella of this equation, something I didn't like too much. Still. I could live with the arrangement and so could she and that was what mattered.

Pap turned me and he smiled. "Hello, Leah."

"Hey, Pap, how the hell did you get here? Ah, whoops, I mean, how did you get here?"

"Sam came to La Push to inform everyone about Embry and once I heard what had happened to Sash I demanded he bring me."

So Ms Call and Kayla already knew. Glad I wasn't in La Push…

"Bet you're glad to finally see this place." I pointed over my shoulder with my thumb.

"Yes," Pap sighed. "Ruth would've loved it."

I nodded. "Probably."

_I think it looks awesome,_ Embry's voice said in my ears and I had to force myself not to yelp.

I was going to have to get used to the whole seeing/hearing the dead thing. Thankfully it seemed to be limited to wolves, shifters, and vampires, which was just fine with me. Hopefully it would die down some once the whole victory buzz wore off and I got the hell away from the village.

_Leah, hey Leah, you can hear me, can't you?_ Embry sounded mischievous. I tried to keep a straight face. _C'mon, Lee, I know you hear me. Don't play dumb, Noami told me you can. C'mon, Leah!_

_Don't respond,_ I told myself.

…_Alright, you asked for it. … Ninety-nine bottles of bear on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer! Take one down, pass it around, ninety-eight bottles of beer on the wall!_

Oh god. I gritted my teeth and tried to endure it for as long as possible. But…he…didn't…stop!

_Ninety-three bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-three bottles of beer…!_

Sash scooted over to me, smiling apologetically. He, too, could hear Embry since he'd died and come back. However, he said nothing to distract me from the endless chorus. Finally after there were eighty-one bottles of beer left on the god forsaken wall, I snapped.

"Shut the fuck up and go away, Embry!" I snarled. "Yes, you asshole, I can hear every damn word you're saying! Your singing sucks! Now get your furry ass out of here and shut the hell up or I'm not telling Kayla a single damn thing you said! Got it?"

Everyone within hearing distance stared at me and Embry whined. I narrowed my eyes and I could see him (he had the almost holographic look like all the others) sitting a few feet away in his wolf form like all the other spirits, save Liam.

_Ah, Leah, c'mon, you promised!_

"Well I promise you that if you don't shut up I'm not going anywhere near La Push for you!"

_Where's the love?_

"I can't believe I cried for you earlier."

_That hurts, Leah. That really hurts._

"You'll live." I snapped.

Embry laughed. _Alright, it's been fun. This is Embry signing off. Remember kids; stay in school and save sex for marriage._

"Fuck you, Embry."

I heard Embry laugh again, the sound grew fainter until it vanished altogether and I exhaled in relief. Everyone was still staring at me with expressions that ranged from amusement, to confusion, to plain blank shock.

"Sorry, everyone, it was just the ghost of a dead pack mate who decided to annoy me." I said nonchalantly. "You may resume your celebratory activities now. Nothing to see here…"

Sash laughed and hugged me. "You're such a freak, Leah."

"Hmph, you're one to talk. You heard him talking just as clearly as I did."

"But I wasn't the one talking back."

"Exactly; you did nothing to shut him up." I glared.

Sash smiled apologetically. "I just wanted to see how long it'd take you to crack."

I gasped and elbowed him in the stomach then stood up and marched away from him. "Aww, c'mon, Lee!" he protested.

He followed me through _Najda_. I kept a few paces ahead of him and my nose in the air. After a few minutes my anger had ebbed and I was just doing it to tease him. I darted down streets only to double back again, weaving through the crowds. He eventually caught up with me, of course, and wrapped his arms around me like steel bars.

"Caught you! Now you're mine!"

"Gah! Let go!" I yelped.

"Do you give in?" he growled playfully.

"I'll never surrender!" I vowed and struggled.

"Excuse me, sir, but I'm going to have to ask you to step away from my sister."

I craned my neck to see around Sash. I recognized Seth's voice anywhere. He stood a few feet behind us, arms folded, a teasing smile on his face.

Sash smirked. "Oh yeah? Who's gonna make me? You, oh fearless Dreamer?"

Seth rolled his eyes. I tried to memorize the way his face shifted when he did that—I wouldn't see that much longer, he'd age soon.

Sash was distracted, his grip loosened, I jerked away. "Ahah! Victory is mine!"

"Hey!" Sash protested then shot Seth a look. "_Thanks_, man."

"Hey, gotta stick up for my big sister."

I jumped at him, getting him in a headlock easily. "Yeah, and don't you forget it, little brother. Doesn't matter how much you grow in the next few months, I'm _always_ your big sister."

"Gwah! Yeah! I gotchya! Now let go!"

I released my hold and he backed away. "Glad to see you've learned your lesson. Class dismissed."

Seth rolled his eyes again and then spoke to Sash. "Do you mind giving us a minute? We need to have a private sibling conversation."

"We do?"

"Yes, we do."

Sash shrugged. "Sure."

"No eavesdropping." Seth warned.

"I would never…" Sash said all too innocently.

Seth sighed and folded his arms.

"Alright, alright, I'm gone." Sash put his hands in the air and walked away. Seth waited about a minute before turning to me.

"So, Leah, what now?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, where do we go now? Back to San Francisco? Do we stay here? Are we going to La Push? Are we going with the Cullens? I think I heard them talking about going nomadic for a while, just for the hell of it. I guess it'd be kind of fun…"

I sighed. "I can go wherever I want and so can you. You don't have to stay with me, Seth. The kids aren't even going to be staying with me much longer, I think. Alba's going to stay here in the village and I know Neve's probably going to go back to San Francisco with the Crescents, at least until they all graduate. I don't know what Scuro and Rame will do."

Seth looked a bit sad. "What about Jacob?"

"He and Renesmee are probably going to find a place on their own. Maybe they'll get hitched soon."

Seth made a face. "She's six."

"…Ok maybe in a decade they'll get hitched."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to finish my bachelor's degree then go from there." I said. "And Sash already said he'll follow me anywhere."

"Oh." Seth looked downcast. "I guess…I guess I'll go back to La Push and stay with Mom, get an actual high school degree…maybe go to college…"

"The Cullens can probably forge you a high school degree." I said. "You've already got all the knowledge you'll need."

"True," he seemed happier with that prospect. "And in a few months I'll look old enough for college."

"There you go!"

"So, OK, I'm going back to La Push for a bit." He decided. "I'll see if Carlisle can help me with all the legal work…and after that…"

"After that is up to you." I told him. "We have a long, long time to live now."

The same thoughts seemed to be crossing everyone's mind throughout _Nadja_. The immediate threat was over, there was no force left able to pose a great threat to the Children of the Moon, who just wanted to live in peace and we were all _alive_. We could do whatever the hell we wanted.

Neve was sitting among the instrumentalists, expertly tapping away on a handmade drum, singing a wordless tune with a few others as if she'd been doing it her whole life. Her pretty blonde hair swished this way and that as she swayed back and forth. She noticed me watching her and smiled. Rame was in a deep conversation with the little vampire named Rayne who was wearing her evilgrin as she spoke. He abruptly laughed at something she said, his red hair falling in his face as he leaned forward. Alba was sitting among a group of vampires, shifters, and wolves, including Scuro, singing a song in the wolf language with a clear, ringing voice I didn't know she had.

_Amari,_ I thought. _Please take good care of Luna. Don't let her be alone there._

Jacob was sitting with his arms around Renesmee while they listened to Ducky the hyperactive witch tell a story while creating accompanying images in the air with simple flicks of her wand. Rachel sat with them, smiling peacefully. Beside her I could see the almost-not-there form of Paul who turned and flashed me a smile before resting his head the shoulder of the completely unaware Rachel. I smiled, knowing no matter what she chose, Paul would never really leave her. Oh I was sure he would back off a bit if she fell in love again, but he'd always be her silent guardian, and he'd be waiting for her when she joined him in the afterlife.

Now that the threat was over, I could see Sam and most of the others in his pack giving up their wolves soon. Sam had a family now, Jared needed to start aging or Kim would leave him behind. Collin, Brady, and Daniel needed to grow up badly. Quil would remain a wolf for at least another decade, protecting the tribe and waiting for Claire to catch up with him, but then he'd give it up to be with her.

The time of the La Push shape-shifters was drawing to a close, the moment, anyway. I was sure that one day they'd come back. If Alba's prediction from years ago was right, then Sam's children would shape-shift in years to come. And Seth and I would be around, ready to help them when the time came.

Sash found me again and I told him of my plans to go to the homes of the shape-shifters and explain to the families of the deceased, then to return to college.

"What then?" he asked. "Which world do we live in?"

"Whichever we want." I said. "We're immortal; we have plenty of time to live in both. But first thing after we graduate, I want to go to Hawaii."

"That's kind of random."

"So? I want to go to Hawaii. We can visit Rebecca Black. And we could run around and get tourists all panicked about wolves! Maybe screw with some scientist minds…"

Sash smiled, "Sounds good to me. And after that?"

"Who the hell knows?"

We had our lives, we had our freedom, we had plenty of time, and we had a whole planet to spend it on. I smiled and rested my head on his shoulder for a moment. Somewhere on the other side of camp, a werewolf started to howl. It was a howl full of all the happiness and all the grief of this day. The story of the battle, sung to Celbra by a wolf that remembered the traditions.

I smiled, letting myself drift with the music, letting the images fill my mind. I could feel the righteous fury of the werewolves. I could hear the screeching and howling. I could see the mass of pelts, feathers, and skins moving around in a deadly dance. I could taste the joy of victory.

"Ugh!"

The spell was broken.

We both spun around, searching for who gave the disgusted cry.

Margaret stood not too far away with Bella. The former was glaring at the bottle of animal blood in her hand and the latter was giggling like there was no tomorrow.

"That stuff's _disgusting!_"

**Fin  
**

* * *

**Or is it?**

* * *

**... Oh my God.**

**It's...over. It's...it's...it's...OVER. O_O *sobs hysterically* I can't believe it. After all the sweat, tears, brooding, blood (yes bloodshed!), yelling, ranting, and plotting...it's finally over.**

**...AND IT'S ONLY JUST BEGINNING :D I have grown way too attached to everyone so I'm gonna be makin my own saga. :3 Chronologically, the next will be Children of the Night-though that title is subject to change. However, due to some plot holes and questions that need to be answered before I brave that tale, I will be posting 5 (WAY) smaller stories first. They are both technically novellas to COTM-kind of like The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, which totally rocks, by the way.**

**Also, congrats to Pomagee! My 1000th reviewer!  
**

**So now, even if you never reviewed before, just review now! There is no password, just review! Fire off questions, complaints, joys...anything! It's been fun, guys. :) I've enjoyed the reviews and I'm flattered by the compliments and the knowledge that you guys care (I'm referring to the get well wishes and such :D)**

**Keep an eye out for one last update on Children of the Moon. It'll be me announcing which story is coming out next and it's title, possibly a link to it, too. And keep an eye out for my Hunger Games story whenever I decide to publish it. Until later, this is Moon signing off! I love you all and-  
**

**Alba: OH MY GOSH! IT'S A MOOGLE!**

**o_o Not again!**


End file.
